A/N: Well, I still got very mixed reactions about Gia. It seems that everyone who hates Gia hates her because they want Harry to be with Ginny. Well, Ginny is one of my favorite characters, but I don't particularly care for stories that pair Harry with Ginny simply because they want to make one big Weasley family (Hermione and Ron... Ginny and Harry...) I'd rather have substance and reasoning behind my pairings. So, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, right? (Haha, I already know).

Thanks for all the feedback! This chapter is quite long but rather entertaining.

Disclaimer: If I could own anything, it would be these characters. However, that's never going to happen.

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The next morning, Hermione had one horrifying memory of the night before.

She had actually sat down at the piano and played for a good fifteen minutes.

Knowing that she would never quite live that one down with Ron and Harry, she was thankful at least that she had a partial excuse. Three glasses of wine had not made her drunk but had left her tipsy enough that she needed no encouragement in sitting down on the piano bench and taking requests for Christmas carols. In fact, she'd been quite proud of the fact that she remembered how to play so well, considering the fact that she hadn't even glanced at a piece of sheet music in four years.

Gia had been very close to getting completely pissed; it seemed that her tolerance was even lower than Hermione's, which was surprising, as she admitted to partying quite a bit on a pretty regular basis. The boys were obviously bigger than them, so it obviously took more to get them drunk. However, neither of them had any real experience in drinking, so it didn't take quite as much as it should have to get them tipsy.

This, of course, had turned out to be quite amusing and rather profound all in its own.

Harry and Gia had obviously given up completely on any sort of privacy rule and were quite contented to make out right in the middle of the stairs without a thought to anyone else. Of course, the only people who really paid them any attention were Ron and Hermione, as nearly every adult in attendance was very much drunk by halfway through the night. And when Ron disappeared to use the bathroom, Mrs. Granger had pulled Hermione aside and even said, "You should take a page out of Gia's book..." with a telling wink at her only child. Hermione had, in return, simply cringed and prayed to any deity she could recall that her mother wasn't drunk enough to go around dropping statements confessed in secrecy.

There had been two very telling moments that stood out distinctly in Hermione's mind, though. And for both of these, she had the strangest desire to write a thank you letter to whoever had discovered alcohol.

The first had come while she and Ron were doing their best to avoid her grandparents and had slipped into the hallway. The hiding spot they'd found also happened to be the perfect place to spy on Harry and Gia- both of whom looked far too caught up in the other to even notice that anyone was watching them. However, they probably didn't care, either.

Ron had whispered a question to her as they both looked on at their friends. "Would you just do that out in public like that?"

Hermione took a sip of her wine and shook her head in response. "No."

He had grinned at her and slyly caught her hand up in his own, pulling her a little closer and whispering, "Me, either. I'd rather be alone with you."

The words had stunned her for a moment, and she'd looked at him with slightly raised eyebrows. "With me?"

He had simply grinned and shrugged before nodding slightly and adding, "Yeah, with you."

She had just been on the verge of asking him if he would like to be alone with her right then, but her grandmother chose that moment to find them and insist that they come back into the party after casting a sidelong glance at their friends who were quite occupied on the stairs.

The other moment had come much later in the night when a good number of the guests had already gone home. Hermione had been helping people find their coats, and she was just passing through the living room when she felt someone grab her arm. Turning around, she saw Ron grinning slyly at her as he pulled her closer and carefully leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. She looked at him curiously, but he simply lifted his eyes upward to show what had caused the sudden (but welcome) affection.

Mistletoe.

It was the same sprig that she had watched her parents make use of for a good three minutes straight earlier in the night. Of course, that had sickened her slightly. This had the exact opposite effect.

He grinned again and quietly said, "I've been waiting to do that all night."

Appreciating every second of this greatly, she'd smiled and said, "Well, why don't you do it again?"

And he did. He placed his lips back on her cheek and let them linger there for a bit longer than was necessary. Then, he turned his head slightly and whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver- both from the feel of his hot breath on her cool skin and from the words he spoke.

"You look amazing."

She turned her head slightly and looked at him, not sure of what to do or say.

He paused for a moment before continuing to whisper with his face still only inches from her ear. "You always look amazing."

Knowing fully well that the alcohol he'd drank was the only thing giving him enough courage to be this open, she waited breathlessly for his next words.

He pulled back slightly and carefully raised a hand to her hair, letting his fingers run through the smooth locks at the side of her face. "And you shouldn't worry so much about your hair," he went on quietly, "because it always looks great." He caught her eye and added, "It always has."

He moved his hands to her shoulders and pulled back to study her intently for several moments before saying, "And the make-up is nice, but you don't need it." He leaned back in, with his hands still resting against her shoulders, and whispered, "Why would you need to try and improve what's already perfect?"

Her eyes fluttered shut at his words, and she waited with baited breath for whatever he was about to say... or do next. She knew that she was in terrible trouble at that moment because the second he'd said those words, she'd realized that she had absolutely no self-control when it came to him. She was scared and excited and thrilled and nervous all at the same time.

But the only thought that made any sense in her mind at that moment was how badly she wanted him to just do it. She just wanted him to kiss her and get it over with because her self-restraint wasn't going to hold up for much longer when he kept dropping such random and loose compliments.

However, the very second that she could feel the first sign of Ron's breath against her lips, the sound of her father's voice coming through the next room immediately caused both teenagers to jump apart quickly. They might have been slightly tipsy, but neither of them was stupid enough to want to get caught by her dad, no matter how good of a mood he might have been in.

And these were the thoughts on her mind as she stepped out of the fireplace and into the Burrow's living room the next afternoon. She was the first of the three to make the Floo trip, and she was greeted by Ginny, who was in the living room at the moment that she arrived.

Ginny immediately jumped up and rushed over to her, hugging her as if she hadn't just seen her a couple of weeks ago. "Thank God!" she exclaimed the second Hermione arrived.

Hermione laughed and looked at her a bit strangely. "What's up?"

"This has been the most boring holiday ever!" she exclaimed. "I've been waiting on you guys to get here since the second day."

"Why's it so boring?"

"Because it's just the twins and me, and Mum has been absolutely livid the whole time. She's gone mad, I'm telling you. One second she's screaming at us and the next she's baking up a storm." She rolled her eyes slightly. "I'll be glad when she's not pregnant anymore and goes back to being normal."

Ginny said all of this very quickly, and Hermione was laughing when Ron stepped out of the fireplace, coughing a bit and dusting extra soot off of him. Ginny gave a small shriek and literally raced across the room and flung herself at her older brother, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Hermione giggled at the look on Ron's face as he stared incredulously at the top of his sister's head before pushing her off of him and looking at her as if she'd just lost her mind.

"What is your problem?"

Ginny just flung her head back in frustration and said, "Please don't leave again! Please stay here until we can finally go back to school! Please- I can't stand it much longer!"

Ron looked at his slightly overdramatic sister for another bewildered moment before sending the same questioning look in Hermione's direction. She just smiled slightly and shrugged.

"Ron, you are getting ashes everywhere." Molly Weasley stepped into the living room wiping her hands on the apron she had draped over her dress. She stopped for a moment as if she'd just realized what she'd said and turned back around. "Ron!" she cried in delight, spinning around to hug her youngest son. She then turned to Hermione and gave her the same sort of greeting. "You look lovely, Dear," she complimented pulling out of the hug. "Where's Harry?"

"Right..." Harry stepped out of the fireplace, coughing loudly, "...here."

Mrs. Weasley beamed as she hurried over to greet the third member of their trio with the same warm embrace that she'd given the first two. She then took to dusting some of the soot away from Harry's clothes as he still struggled with a coughing fit. When she was satisfied that they were all cleaned up well enough, she hurried them into the kitchen and settled them all at her table. Wafty smells of baking turkey and ham filled the air.

"Lunch won't start for another hour or so," she explained quickly. "But you're all welcome to a snack."

"No thank you," Hermione said politely. "We just had breakfast not too long ago."

"Oh, pishposh," Mrs. Weasley said dismissively. "You need something to eat. Now, what would you like?"

"What'd you make for dessert?" Ron asked keenly.

His mother looked crossly at him for a moment. "Dessert is for dessert," she asserted simply. Then, turning to her only daughter, who had sat down at the table with the others, she said, "Ginny, get them something to drink and some biscuits."

Ginny looked at her mother with contempt. "Why can't Ron get them? He lives here, too."

Mrs. Weasley looked sharply at her only daughter, giving off a very clear and definitive answer with her eyes.

Ginny scowled and glared across the table at Ron, who was smirking superiorly back. Shoving her chair back from the table, Ginny stood up in a huff and headed toward the pantry. She was obviously over the "Oh, Ron, you're my favorite brother. Please stay here for the rest of holiday!" mood.

"I'll help," Hermione offered quickly, standing up and going to help the other girl get some drinks together. Around the corner, they heard the twins come in and greet the other boys. As they fixed the snack, Mrs. Weasley asked how the holiday had been.

Harry said it had been fine. And Ron laughed and said, "It's been more than fine for him. Harry's got a girlfriend."

Hermione looked around the door and saw Harry turn a brilliant shade of red as Fred, George, and Mrs. Weasley all started in with the pestering of who she was and when and how and where.

Without really meaning to or even thinking about it, Hermione happened to glance Ginny from the corner of her eye. At Ron's words, her hands had stilled and she looked down at the floor silently. Hermione watched as she finally looked back up and set the plate of biscuits on the counter before turning around and going up the stairs silently.

Hermione didn't know what to do. She glanced one more time to the table where everyone was far too busy drilling Harry for details to notice that the youngest Weasley had disappeared from the room. Deciding that she couldn't just very well leave Ginny alone, she shut the pantry door and hurried up the stairs after the younger girl.

When she reached the third floor, Hermione knocked gently on the door. "Gin?" she called softly. "It's me."

A muffled, "Come in," was the answer, and Hermione slowly opened the door and stepped into the small bedroom that she always shared with Ginny whenever she was visiting the Burrow.

Ginny was sitting silently on the bed, simply studying the stitching on the quilt in front of her.

Hermione was nervous, not quite sure how to deal with anything and feeling rather awkward. So, she said the only thing that came to mind.

"Ginny..."

The redhead looked up with distant eyes. "He has a girlfriend?"

Hermione sighed softly and tried again. "Ginny..."

"Just like that? Two weeks and he has a girlfriend?" Ginny didn't wait for an answer before asking her next question. "Is she pretty?"

Hermione frowned and shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "Ginny..." She wanted to say something else, but nothing was coming to mind.

"Just answer me, please," Ginny said quietly. "Is she pretty?"

Sighing again, Hermione answered the question. "Yes."

Ginny looked away and nodded slightly, muttering, "I figured she would be." Hermione simply stared at her for a moment before another question was posed. "Does he really like her?"

Nodding hesitantly, Hermione answered truthfully. "Yeah..."

Ginny looked deeply hurt as her eyes darted back to the bedspread. In a very timid voice, she spoke again. "I don't want to like him this much, you know? I don't really want to like him at all..."

Hermione wanted to comfort her, but this girl stuff was never her forte. However, it seemed like Ginny just wanted someone to listen, so Hermione sat down across from her and waited.

"I mean, he's Ron's best friend. That in itself should make it too weird." She bit her lip slightly. "He should just be like... Lee Jordan or something. Like another brother." She rolled her eyes slightly. "I mean, it's not like my parents haven't tried to adopt him on more than one occasion..."

Hermione nodded silently.

"But it's not like that. Because he's Harry." She looked up and slowly added, "Harry Potter." She shook her head dismissively and said, "And I know you don't understand because you didn't grow up hearing about it. But for as long as I can remember, I've been hearing about him and hearing how he was so great that he could defeat the Darkest Wizard of all time when he was just a baby. A baby..."

Hermione was, of course, quite familiar with the story of Harry Potter, but Ginny was right. She hadn't grown up hearing it, so maybe it was a bit different.

A small, almost reminiscent smile crossed the younger girl's lips as she continued. "And when Ron first went to school, I couldn't believe that he actually knew him. Not just knew him, but was friends with him. Best friends." She closed her eyes briefly. "Do you know I used to wait by the window every single afternoon just hoping and praying that Ron would send me a letter and tell me some new crazy adventure that he'd be on with Harry?" She laughed breezily. "Can you even imagine what it must have been like for me to read about all the things you guys did in your first year? It was unbelievable. And it was Harry Potter."

Hermione tried to imagine just what it would be like to read about everything that had happened on paper. A smile crossed her lips without her knowledge as she imagined the way Ron must have exaggerated the things that had happened.

"But then when I met him, I couldn't believe it." Ginny looked faraway now. "He really was just as nice and brave and perfect as I'd always imagined that he would be. And he was just so nice. And humble." She shrugged off-handedly. "He was just perfect."

The words floated unanswered for a minute before a dark look crossed Ginny's face and she went back to studying the quilt. "And then I screwed everything up in my first year and almost got him killed."

Remembering Ron's story of Ginny's nightmares, Hermione cringed slightly. "Ginny," she said soothingly. "You didn't almost get him killed."

"Yes, I did, Hermione." Ginny looked up seriously. "You don't have to sugarcoat it because I know what happened. I was there, remember? I almost got him killed. I almost got Ron killed. I almost got you killed. And Colin And Justin. And Penelope. And..."

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione interrupted. "So, don't even think that it was."

Ginny shrugged unenthusiastically. "It doesn't matter whose fault it was. It happened. And it ruined my whole life."

Hermione flinched. She definitely hadn't expected to hear that.

"The reason I got so involved in that diary was because I was so obsessed with Harry, and I knew that he didn't like me back. I was so depressed by the whole thing that I emerged myself into something that seemed to care." She looked away. "And everything backfired. Harry ended up having to play hero yet again, and I ended up looking like nothing more than his best friend's kid sister who was too stupid to follow advice that her father had given her for eleven years." She frowned. "And he still thinks like that."

"Harry does not think of you like that," Hermione said adamantly. "He doesn't, okay? He does care about you, and he really does consider you a very close friend."

Ginny actually rolled her eyes. "He considers me his little sister because he's too damn close to this family and doesn't know how else to think."

Hermione had no idea what to say.

However, Ginny just shook her head dismissively and shrugged her shoulders. "But what does it matter anyway? He's got a girlfriend. It's not like I ever had a chance anyway."

The bitterness was not missed from her voice as she got to her feet and walked silently from the room with a very distant look still covering her face. Hermione sighed and put her head into her hands.

She didn't have a clue as to how to make Ginny feel better.

*********************

Ron huffed with disgust as he climbed the stairs of the house to retreat to his room. He was already sick of being there, and it hadn't even been an hour. After he'd vaguely made a comment about Ginny running off because she must have heard Harry had a girlfriend and needed to cry, his mother had gotten quite testy with him and proceeded to send him a live-action howler.

He was in the process of stomping up the stairs when he was suddenly met with the sound of his name being called on the third landing.

"Oi, Ron!"

He turned his head immediately in the direction of the familiar voice. George was coming up the stairs behind him, and he smirked as he reached the landing and caught his younger brother by the sleeve. Without another word, he pulled him toward the closed door to the room that he shared with Fred.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, yanking himself out of his brother's grasp.

George rolled his eyes and opened the door, shoving Ron into it and following him in. After shutting the door behind him, George grinned. "So, Mum's being a bitch, huh?"

Ron made a face. "Uh, yeah. What is her problem anyway?"

George shrugged. "She's pregnant."

"Has she been like that the whole holiday?"

The older of the two nodded. "Yep, but it's weird. She'll probably be rushing up here in a few minutes asking if you want her to make you a whole batch of treacle tarts. Mood swings, you know."

Ron shrugged. "I guess. Sure, whatever."

George grinned. "You're actually very lucky you haven't been here. It's quite tiring trying to keep up with her."

Sighing, Ron looked at his older brother. "What do you want?" he asked unenthusiastically.

George looked quite offended. "Well, that's a pleasant conversation starter."

Rolling his eyes, Ron said, "Can I leave now?"

"And just where are you rushing off to?" George smirked evilly. "Hermione's off somewhere with Ginny. You might as well spend some time with me."

"Sod off."

"Is that any way to talk to your older brother?" George asked in mock- offense. "Here I am, trying to have a friendly little brotherly chat, and you tell me to sod off. Unacceptable."

"Will you just tell me what you want, so I can go?" Ron asked, completely ignoring the previous statement.

Sighing, George sat down on his bed and motioned for Ron to do the same on Fred's. "It's time we had a talk."

Ron looked at the place where George was motioning and then back at George. Without so much as flinching, he said, "I'm leaving."

"Sit." George stood back up and forcefully shoved Ron into a sitting position before settling himself back onto his own bed. "Now, then. How have your hols been?"

Ron glared at the boy across from him. "Better than yours. Happy? Can I go?"

Snickering, George shook his head. "What is the rush, Ron? I just want to spend some quality time with my favorite little brother. Is that such a crime?"

"I'm your only little brother," Ron pointed out without missing a beat.

Tilting his head from side to side, the older shrugged his shoulders. "Admitted. But still, why don't you want to talk to me?"

"Because I don't want to listen to you," Ron said briskly. "Because I know that look, and I know what this is about, and I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it."

"Well, if that wasn't the run on sentence of the century... Hermione would have a fit."

"She'd get over it," Ron said quickly. "Now, just tell me whatever it is you want to tell me, will you?"

"You just said you didn't want to hear it."

"Fine." Ron made a move to stand up, but George was too quick. He'd stood up at the same time and shoved Ron once again into a sitting position.

"Lucky for you," George said with a smile, "I never follow your wishes."

Ron rolled his eyes and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Now. Speaking of Hermione..." George chuckled to himself. "I am such a good transition maker. Speaking of Hermione..."

"Just shut the hell up, okay?" Ron was looking quite serious.

George put on a very shocked look. "Ronald Phillip Weasley, you'd do to watch your mouth!" he scolded mockingly.

"Fuck you."

Faking a gasp, George looked at him incredulously. "Do you kiss my mother with that mouth?"

Ron glared stubbornly as George smirked cruelly.

"Do you kiss anyone else with that mouth?"

Ron groaned and put his head in his hands. Sitting back up, he continued the glare. "I'm leaving."

His brother laughed. "Answer the question."

"What is it to you anyway?" Ron suddenly challenged. "Why do you care so much?"

"Because you are my little brother, and I am looking out for you." He looked quite self-fulfilled. "I am saving you, Ron."

"Saving me from what?" Ron rolled his eyes. "Stop talking shit and just tell me what you're on about."

George smirked. "Well, look at it this way, young one. You are one of eight Fifth Year Gryffindors, right? Let's go down the list, shall we?" Ron rolled his eyes, but George paid him no attention. "I personally witnessed Dean Thomas kissing Padma Patil outside of the Ravenclaw portrait hole two days before the end of term."

"Why were you outside the Ravenclaw portrait hole?" Ron questioned pointedly.

George laughed. "Oh, that is none of your concern. We are talking about you. Now, allow me to continue. Padma's dear twin sister Parvati has been seen being more than a bit friendly with at least two Ravenclaws, a Hufflepuff, and even a Slytherin within the last year." He cleared his throat. "And Parvati, of course, leads us straight to her blonde headed clone, Lavender Brown. Now, Lavender, as I'm sure you will know, has been quite involved with one of your very own roommates. Seamus Finnigan. And Seamus, of course, has been quite involved with a very long list of young ladies too long to name. So, what's that? Four down, four to go, right? Well, next on our list is your very own best friend, none other than Mr. Harry Potter himself." Ron looked away, already quite annoyed by this 'lesson.' "Harry has done what he should have done a long time ago and found himself a girl. Trust me, there's nothing to take away painful thoughts like a pretty girl. And from what I've been told, this Gia is quite the looker. And, I know you know where this is going," he winked at his younger brother, "Gia just happens to be another one your best friends' old classmates. Yes, Ron, that's right. Hermione. Now, there was a surprise- a surprise but a rather amusing one at least. Hermione's even gone and got herself a boyfriend- let us not forget the infamous Viktor Krum."

Ron scowled and immediately spoke up to that. "Krum was never her boyfriend."

"Oh, no?" George looked far too amused by the situation. "Well, there was certainly something going on from what I could see..." He got up and walked over to a trunk across the room. "What month was that?" he muttered as he rummaged through the trunk. "Aha!" He stood back up with a magazine in his hand. Flipping through it, he thrust it at once at his younger brother. "Don't tell me that you don't see it, too."

It was the August issue of Quidditch Center- the one with the article on Krum signing the extended contract. The picture of the Bulgarian Seeker and Hermione looking quite cozy with each other stared back at Ron.

Fighting the urge to crumple up the book and throw it at his brother, Ron opted to glare instead and repeat his earlier statement. "He was never her boyfriend."

George rolled his eyes. "Boyfriend or not- they certainly look like they got on quite well to me. I'm sure a simple title didn't stop her from doing things with him that she wouldn't do with just random guys. You know... like kissing him."

Ron flung the magazine onto the bed beside him in a great huff.

"See, Ron?" George went on without missing a beat. "Hermione has joined the ranks of five of your other classmates. Making the score now six to two. And sadly, you are on the team of two with none other than Neville Longbottom. And we both know that the closest Neville's ever gotten to a girl was with Ginny." He held up a hand, "Don't even go there." Shaking himself of the image, he continued. "But if you don't hurry up, poor Neville might just beat you to the punch. Especially since Harry's now off the market, and our poor little sister is probably quite heart-broken." He shuddered but continued anyway. "You don't want that to happen, do you? You don't want to be on the losing side when the score gets all the way to seven to one, now do you?"

Ron wanted very much to throw something at the redhead across from him. He knew that if he did this, though, that his mother would hear the crash and come upstairs to give him the blessing out of his life. She was just in the mood. Instead, he opted to sent a contemptuous look in the direction of his brother and make a very simple statement. "You don't know anything about anything, George."

"Oh, I don't, do I?" George narrowed his own eyes to the challenge. "I suppose you think I wasn't there to witness the way you looked when Hermione showed up at the Yule Ball last year. I guess you think I wasn't there when she gave Harry a kiss on the cheek at King's Cross last year and you looked like you wanted to pummel the poor bloke. I guess you think I wasn't around when Pig accidentally dropped one of Hermione's letters into sink and you nearly broke your neck getting to it before anyone else could snatch it up this summer. I guess you think I didn't see the way you were looking at her while you were dancing with her on Halloween." He shook his head. "Ron, I have eyes. And trust me. I do know."

Ron turned a rather bright shade of pink and looked away. In a quieter voice, he made another request. "Will you please just leave me alone about it?"

"No, I won't," George answered automatically. "Why don't you just do something about it already?"

Ron looked up and suddenly started speaking rather quickly. "Just shut up! You don't understand, okay? It was like one day she was an annoying know- it-all that I couldn't stand. Then one day she was my new best friend. Then one day she was just Hermione. And then the next she was a girl. And then she started showing up in my dreams. And then she had to go and get all pretty. And then one day I just started wondering what it would be like to kiss her. And I haven't been able to get the bloody thought out of my mind since!"

He stopped abruptly and looked away, his face redder than it had ever been in his entire life. The news was so quickly given that George had to take a moment to process it all.

"So, you admit it."

Ron closed his eyes and groaned. "Fine!" he said, turning back to his older brother sharply. "I admit it, okay? Fine. Whatever. I'm sick of trying to deny it!"

George was grinning far too broadly. "Oh, this is too good to be true..."

Ron immediately knew that he had done the wrong thing by confessing his secret to George, but it had slipped before he'd even had time to think. And honestly, it did feel a bit nice to finally have it out in the open with someone.

Even if it was one-half of his biggest nightmare.

Still a brighter red than his hair, he looked wordlessly at the carpet in front of him.

George, however, had plenty to say on the subject. "Well, let's start the beginning," he said coaxingly. "When did you first realize that the lovely Miss Granger was simply irresistible?"

Ron wanted to be swallowed up by a hole in the earth, but it was far too late for that now. Shrugging, he reluctantly answered the question. "I don't know. It just sort of happened."

"But you really like her?"

"You have no bloody idea," Ron said cryptically as he dropped back onto the bed and lay looking at the ceiling. "No idea..."

George chuckled to himself. "So, tell me all about it, little brother."

Ron scowled slightly at the attempt at babying but lifted his shoulders. "She's all I think about every day, all day." He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. "Like if I'm not with her, all I do is think about an excuse to go and find her. And if I am with her, all I do is think of an excuse to get her attention. And it's always something stupid, too."

Not even bothering to hide his amused smirk, the older of the two prodded the younger on. "And? How do you go about doing this?"

Ron groaned, not quite sure why he was spilling everything to one of the twins- of all people he could have chosen... However, he had already started, so he might as well finish. Placing his hands over his eyes, he continued to lie on his back and speak. "Sometimes I actually study on purpose. Just so I can go to the library and sit at one of those little tables with her. You know, because there's not much room, and our knees almost always end up bumping."

This drew a load of laughter from George, and Ron cringed imagining the teasing that he was going to get when all was spilled to Fred. Oh, why couldn't he just make himself shut up?

"So, you actually study- on purpose- just so you can make sure to bump knees with Hermione?" George managed this recap through broken snickers. "Why Hermione? What's so special about her anyway?"

Ron sat up slowly and pondered the question. Knowing that he should just keep his mouth shut and quit while he wasn't yet miles behind didn't help him at all, and he actually started to spill even more useful blackmail material. And willingly at that.

"She's just..." His eyes glazed over slightly as he thought of the word to describe his female best friend. "She's just perfect." A dazed smile covered his lips as he dreamily started listing off other characteristics that made her so much more than just special. "And she's brilliant. I know I complain sometimes that she spends too much time studying, but I'm not being serious. Her mind is amazing- I love it. I just get upset because she never talks to anyone or does anything else if she has a book in front of her face. So, I just tease her about it." He thought for another minute before continuing. "And she's beautiful. I mean, so beautiful. It's like... Not beautiful as in seeing the Cannons win the Cup, but more like seeing a sunset over a clear ocean." Ron's head jerked up immediately upon his words, and his face almost went purple. "Oh, my God... Did I just say that out loud?"

George's loud guffawing was all the answer he needed. He dropped his face into his hands and prayed silently for lightning to just strike him dead upon contact. How could he be so bloody stupid?

It was George, for crying out loud!

George made a move to get up, but Ron's head immediately shot back up and he leapt to his feet to head his older brother off. "Where are you going?!" he asked, panicked.

George was still trying to get his snickering under control as he answered the question. "To tell Hermione."

"No!" Ron leapt in front of the door, never remembering feeling so anxious or scared in his entire life- not even during the whole Acromantula thing.

George stopped and smirked. "I am doing this for your own good, Ron," he said seriously. "If she hears what you just said, you'll get a hell of a lot more than a simple kiss. Trust me." He smirk turned even more mischievous. "Of course, that's another talk we'll have to have."

Ron comprehended what had just been said by his older brother after a second, but he didn't even have time to swear at him for being so crude. Instead, he did the only thing that made a bit of sense.

He actually dropped to his knees in front of the door and literally begged George. "Please! Please don't tell her!" He didn't even bother trying to keep his voice calm. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and if there was ever a case of either, this was it. "Please, George! Oh, my God, I'll do anything! Just don't tell her! Please!"

The older of the two surveyed the scene before him and shook his head in silent disbelief. "This is the absolute saddest thing I have ever seen in my life..." Then he grinned wickedly and added, "Where's a camera when you need one?"

Ron folded his hands in the begging position and spoke earnestly up to his older brother. "George, please... I swear I will do whatever you want. Anything. I'll do anything, I swear! Just please, please don't tell Hermione what I said..."

"What is the big bloody deal?" George asked with a confused shake of his head. "You want to kiss her, right?"

Ron sighed softly. "I think more than I've ever wanted anything in my whole life..."

His brother rolled his eyes. "Well, if she heard even half of what you just said, she'd be all over you!"

Ron stopped pleading for a moment and looked up at his older brother. "Well, I'll tell her, okay?" He took a deep, steadying breath. "I swear I will. But just please- don't you do it, alright? Just let me do it."

George pursed his lips in what was obvious disappointment. "Get up, Ron," he said ruefully. "You've no idea how stupid you look."

Ron scowled slightly and got to his feet, raising himself up to his full height, which was several inches taller than George. He was still, somehow, much smaller.

George looked sternly up at his little brother and seriously said, "Fine. But you have until we get back to school. If she doesn't know by the time we get back on the train, she will find out." He smirked as he finished with, "Because everyone in the school will know."

Ron opened his mouth in protest. "Would you honestly do that to me? I'm your brother!"

George shrugged. "If it was for the case of the betterment of the good, then yes, I would."

Ron just raised his eyebrows, indicating that he didn't understand a single word that had just been said.

Rolling his eyes, George put it into common English. "If it got people to laugh, I would say anything. Brother or no."

And with that, he reached up and roughly ruffled Ron's hair before smirking self-righteously and leaving his little brother in the room. Ron stared after him, completely shocked that his own blood would betray him like that. Not only betray him- but enjoy it as well.

Scowling, Ron then did something he'd wanted to do for quite some time now. He walked over to Fred's bed and picked up the August issue of Quidditch Center. Glancing around to make sure no one was behind him, he ripped out the page that had the picture and article on it. He then very carefully tore down the center of it, cutting the picture in half. Without another thought, he set down the magazine and one half of the picture before taking the other half and shredding it into a thousand tiny pieces.

Smirking, he felt quite triumphant. "His nose certainly looks a lot smaller broken into tiny bits like that," he said to himself as he tipped the remnants of the picture into the waste basket.

Then, with another glance around, he quickly reached for the other half of the picture, folded it, and tucked it securely into his pocket.

With the best smile he could muster while still remembering that George had the absolute worst sort of blackmail on him, he made his way downstairs for lunch.

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Ah... Well, you all know what this weekend means, right? Yes, of course, I'm talking about the opening of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. As I'm very excited to see the film, I'm in an exceptionally good mood. Coincidentally, the next chapter will hopefully put the rest of you into moods just as good... And that's all I'm saying.

Hope you'll leave feedback!!!!