Here we go again. Let's see the Weasley-reaction, shall we? This chapter will be longer than I anticipated.
Ryunne Inverse, thank you for the idea for this chapter. You know what I mean.
*****'
The annual invitation to the Burrow arrived the next day. Hermione had spent every day since she came home with Claire. Thankfully, the dark haired girl was in the bathroom when the letter arrived, and therefore could ask no questions. Pig arrived through the window, hooting happily, like the mentally retarded owl he was.
She took the letter, gave Pig an owl-treat and sent him on his way again. If she needed to send a reply, she could use Hettar. She sat down in a chair in the living room and started to read the letter.
Hermione
Mum said you're welcome to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Harry's coming too. We've missed you; you haven't answered our letters. Your mum did, though. She said you were away with a friend of yours. Maybe you could tell us who it was when you come.
Ron.
"Oh, who's Ron? And why is he missing you?" Claire's voice asked from behind her.
Hermione jumped and spun around in her seat. Her friend was standing right behind her, reading over her shoulder.
"He and Harry are my best friends at school. I guess that's why." She shrugged.
"What's ´the Burrow´?" Claire sounded extremely curious now.
"His family's house. He's got six siblings; five older brothers and one younger sister." She explained. "His parents are the sweetest you'll ever see; always caring about their children, and even though they have very little money, they always buy the best they can for them."
"That's so cute! Well, are you going?" Claire exclaimed, jumping up and down before settling down in the second chair.
"I think so; I go every year. And besides, it'll be easier to meet Bill there. Bill is Ron's oldest brother." She added at Claire's puzzled look.
"Wait, you never told me how old this Bill is." Claire broke in, holding up a hand.
"Twenty-six." She admitted, blushing.
"Twenty-six? And your parents are ok with this?" Claire wondered.
"Yes, after I convinced them that Bill wasn't a horrible old cradle-snatcher and that he wouldn't take advantage of me. It took a while, but they got it."
"I never knew you'd like older men, Hermione. But I guess it's only logical; nobody our age would ever be able to keep up with you. So, why did he write you a letter instead of calling you up?" She wanted to know.
"He hasn't got a phone." Hermione lied quickly.
It wasn't exactly a lie, since unless Arthur Weasley had liberated one, they had no phone.
"Oh. So, can I come?" She asked eagerly.
"I'm afraid not; they haven't got room for more than me. But next time I go, I'll see if they can make room for you." Hermione promised.
Claire thanked her, threatened her that if she didn't tell more of her friends and her school, she'd be dead before sunrise, and left Hermione alone to think about the letter.
Of course, she wanted to go. She hadn't seen Ron and Harry all summer, and Ginny was nearly as good a friend as the boys. But that meant she'd have to face Bill too. She had no problems with Bill, in fact, she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless the next time she saw him, but that would be in front of his family, who didn't know about the two of them, an in front of Ron, who Bill was convinced had a crush on her.
The only way out of it seemed to be keeping their relationship secret until she could make clear to Ron that there could never be anything between the two of them. Not that she could keep away from Bill in the meantime. But the Burrow had enough little closets to hide in if it became necessary, she thought with an evil grin.
*****'
Bill stood in his living room looking at the new furniture he had bought, when an owl came swooping in through the open window. He took the letter and gave it something to eat, and before he had had time to see if the letter needed a reply, it was gone. Puzzled, he started reading the letter.
Dear Bill.
It's Hermione. I have some things to tell you. Firstly, I've received an invitation to the Burrow. Are you going to be there? Silly me, I know you are, you told me so. But what I really wanted to know was how we should tell your family about us.
I'm thinking we should keep it a secret, at least until I've convinced Ron that there can never be anything between the two of us besides friendship. Not that I am going to keep away from you in the meantime.
So what do you say? You don't need to reply to this, since I am sure Hettar left immediately to deliver the letter to Ron. We can talk about it at the Burrow.
Sincerely (because I have no idea how to end a letter)
Hermione
He chuckled. She was so much like him; both of the had a tendency to rant about things long after everyone else stopped caring, and none of them had any idea how to write a letter properly.
He tried to suppress his excitement at seeing her at the Burrow, but failed, making him feel like he was fifteen years old again. He folded the letter again, and walked over to the calendar hanging on the wall, trying to figure out how many days were left before he could see her again.
He set to work refurnishing his flat, all the while whistling under his breath. Without even noticing, he was whistling the song Hermione had played for him the day she showed him what a stereo was.
******'
After a tearful goodbye to Claire, Hermione threw a pinch of Floo-powder in the fire place and called ´the Burrow´. She stepped in, and seconds later, she stumbled out into the living room at the Burrow, covered in soot and coughing. Now she remembered why she hated travelling by Floo.
She was just dusting herself off when Fred stuck his head into the living room, looking for the source of the noise. When he saw Hermione, he grinned widely.
"Hermione! Now I know one boy who will be happy! Ron, Hermione's here!" He shouted up the stairs.
"Oh, no. Fred, please don't tell me he has a crush on me." She whispered to herself, too low for Fred to hear her.
Ron came running in with Harry behind him, and enveloped her in a rib-cracking hug. The two boys laughed at her appearance, and helped her dust herself off.
"Hermione! We haven't seen you in ages, and you didn't return our letters! Where were you?" Ron asked, grinning.
"With one of my Muggle friends. Let's go see if we can find Ginny now, shall we?" She asked, avoiding answering the question fully.
She caught Harry blushing at the mention of Ginny's name, and grinned to herself; no matter how much Ginny denied that she still had a crush on Harry, Hermione was sure she had, and even though Harry hadn't gone out with anyone since Cho, she'd caught him looking at Ginny more than once when he thought no one was looking.
She dragged them out of the room, but not before giving Fred, and George who appeared suddenly, a hug each. Over the years, the Weasley siblings had become more than just friends of hers. Now, she thought of them as the closest thing to brothers and sisters she'd ever have. The twins hugged her back and then disappeared up the stairs, probably to plan something for their joke-shop.
Out in the kitchen, she went over to give Molly Weasley a hug, and then moved on to Percy, who was sitting at the table, reading the Daily Prophet. He absently hugged her back, eyes never leaving the paper.
Charlie, who was taking a break from dragons, since the last one had tired to make a barbecue out of him, came in from the garden. He spotted Hermione and waved. Charlie was still single; on the ground that he hadn't met anyone ´who could understand him´ yet.
"Hiya, Hermione. Long time, no see, how are you doing?" He asked, while hugging her.
"I'm fine Charlie." She hugged back, chuckling.
"What about me? Do I get a hug?"
Hermione spun around and spotted Bill standing in the doorway, grinning. She walked over to him, and looked at him.
"Hmm, alright. But just because everyone else did." She said and hugged him too.
"Gee thanks, I feel so loved." Bill retorted.
"Don't be so sarcastic, it doesn't suit you." She said, letting go of him reluctantly. "Now, where's Ginny? I haven't seen her yet."
"I'm right, here, Hermione, now come and give me a hug and don't waste time with my hopeless fang-eared brother." The girl said from behind Bill.
"I'm still in the room, you know." Bill protested.
Ginny ignored him and hugged Hermione, and then proceeded to drag her out of the room, claiming that she had ´girl-stuff´ to discuss with her friend. Helplessly, Hermione mouthed ´Help me! ´ to the boys in the kitchen, who only chuckled.
******'
Ginny deposited both of them on her bed, and grinned at Hermione, Inwardly, Hermione heaved a sighed; she knew what was coming of course. Questions about whether or not she had a boyfriend, and how she was going to get one.
"So, Hermione, did you know that my ickle brother Ronniekins has a crush on you?" The redheaded girl asked, eyes twinkling.
Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't that. She had tried to convince herself that it possibly couldn't be that way, but when his own sister told her, she couldn't deny it any longer. She buried her face in her hands and groaned.
"No! Please tell me you are joking, Ginny." She pleaded, to no avail.
"No, I'm not joking. But what's wrong? I thought you'd be happy. Ron isn't that bad, you know." She said.
"There's nothing wrong with Ron. It's just that I don't see him in that light; he's more of a brother to me. I could never be his girlfriend, never." She said, slumping back on the bed.
"Really, now? Have you got a boyfriend you haven't told me about?" Ginny asked, looking curious.
"No."
"So you don't want to be with Ron, but you haven't got anyone else? Why don't we fix you p with someone, then?" The redhead asked.
"No, Ginny, I don't want to. If I get a boyfriend, it's going to be because I chose him myself." She said, sighing.
If Ginny only knew that if she could, she would go straight down the stairs, and kiss Bill senseless. It took every bit of self-discipline she had not to blurt out everything to Ginny.
*****'
Bill was staring out into thin air, daydreaming about a certain brown-haired girl, and therefore didn't notice his twin brothers sneaking up on him until they threw a discarded marble on his head. He jumped and glared at them, rubbing his head.
"What was that for?" He grumbled.
"Ickle Bill is daydreaming." They chorused, grinning madly.
"I'm not." He protested. "I'm thinking."
"Ah, Bill has a girlfriend!" Fred said, still grinning.
"No I don't." He said. "If you must know, I'm thinking about my next assignment. So kindly leave me alone." He said, scowling at them.
The twins laughed and ran upstairs again. From the way they acted, no one could guess they were twenty years old. He went back to hi daydreaming, not noticing that he was whistling again.
*****'
The day passed quickly, and soon they were gathered around a table in the backyard, much like they had before the Quidditch World Cup. As luck would have it, Hermione ended up seated between Ginny and Bill, with Ron right across from her, next to Harry.
Halfway through the meal, she felt someone's foot on her own, and she looked up, puzzled. She saw Ron looking at her from across the table, a smug look on his face. Annoyed, she moved her legs out of the way, quickly. After shooting a dark look at Ron, she turned to Bill, asking him something about his new job in England.
Ron didn't give up, however. Next time his foot came close to her own, she kicked him, and moved her legs again. This time, he gave up, but when she glanced at him across the table, she saw he had a determined look on his face, making her curse inwardly.
******'
The next day, she finally got Bill for herself. They ran into each other in the hallway, when everyone else was still in the kitchen eating breakfast, or outside, de-gnoming the garden. She took hold of his arm, and pulled him to face her.
"Bill, we need to come up with a way to get Ron to realize that I don't want him." She said in a low voice.
"Not here, come on." He whispered and led her down the hallway.
He pulled her into a broom closet, and closed the door behind them. He turned to her, and couldn't resist pulling her into a hug. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed contently.
"Now, what about Ron?" Bill asked.
She told him about what had happened at dinner last night, and muttered curses under his breath for a long time afterwards.
"My brother deserves a good beating. Now, ask Ginny for help; she knows what she's doing." Bill advised her.
"Alright." Hermione whispered and made for the door again.
She was grabbed by Bill as soon as her hand was on the door handle. He pulled her back and grinned at her.
"You didn't think you'd be going anywhere without giving me a kiss first, did you?" He asked, and without waiting for a reply, he kissed her.
Hermione blinked, a little dazed, and then smiled at him.
"I really have to go now; I do not want to think about what Ginny will say when she finds me gone."
Bill stayed behind, leaning against the wall. How would he ever be able to tell her? He loved her more for every passing day, and no longer cared if it was illogical or wrong. But she couldn't feel the same, could she?
******'
Hermione sat down on Ginny's bed, smiling dreamily. Bill was the most considerate and sweet man she'd ever met. She just couldn't stop thinking about him. Last night, she even dreamed about him. She had, several times already, been forced to bite her tongue as to not talk about him in front of Ginny more than necessary.
Just as she thought about her, Ginny stepped in, and Hermione slipped the smile off her face as fast as she could. The redheaded girl sat down beside her and threw an arm around her shoulder.
"I ran into Bill on the way up here, and he told me something curious. He told me that you wanted help to get rid of Ron's attention." Ginny told her.
"Yes." Hermione said, trying to sound miserable.
The truth was that she was nearly jumping up and down, singing at the top of her voice because Bill had talked about her. Unreasonable behaviour, but even so.
"Now, it isn't going to happen."
"What? Why not?" Hermione asked alarmed.
"Because Ron isn't going to give up. Never. Unless you shock him badly, he is never going to leave you alone. My suggestion is that you get yourself a boyfriend." Ginny advised her.
"Oh, no, you are not going to set me up with anyone, Ginny; I'll take care of this myself. Trust me, I can do this. If I need a boyfriend to scare him off, I can get one without your help." Hermione told her friend.
"Oh, alright, but you can always come to me if you need any help. Please?" Ginny pleaded.
"I will, Ginny, I will. By the way, have I ever told you about my Muggle friend Claire?" Hermione said, quickly changing subjects.
"No, you never told me anything about your Muggle friends." Ginny said, interested.
Thanking whatever deities were listening that the distraction had worked, Hermione started telling Ginny about her Muggle life.
********'
Hermione told Bill about what Ginny had said as soon as she could, and they spent some time in the backyard, under the excuse that they were de-gnoming it instead of Fred and George, discussing what they should do about it. They came to the conclusion that they had to break the story to his family, but they still had no idea how, only that they had to do it soon.
Two days passed, during which Ron became more and more insistent, and Hermione was getting more and more desperate. Then, suddenly, Mr and Mrs Weasley announced that they had to go to London to visit a relative, and that they left Charlie and Bill in charge of the younger children.
The twins celebrated the parent-less day by setting off their newest invention, which proved to be a cross between Exploding Snap and Filibusters Fireworks, in the backyard, resulting in a huge explosion.
Everyone, including Percy ran out of the house to see what the fuss was about, and the twins ran for it. The only ones who didn't get out of the house were Hermione and Bill. Instead, they hid in the closet.
Hermione was going to talk to him about Ron, but all thoughts were neatly packed together and thrown out the window when he kissed her. Deciding she could fuss about Ron's behaviour later, she kissed him back, and they soon lost track of the world around them.
Therefore, they didn't hear Fred and George when the twins came sneaking up to the closet, intent on hiding in there until it had blown over. Pranksters soon learn when to start running. Fred opened the door, glancing over his shoulder at George, just about to say something, when he caught the expression on his twin's face.
George looked like he had seen a ghost, completely pale and his eyes were easily the size of golf balls. Throwing a quizzical glance at his twin, Fred turned his head to see what George was so scared of, and came face to face with his eldest brother and his youngest brother's best friend, snogging each others brains out.
"Bill?" He said faintly.
Bill immediately broke away from the kiss, and stared at them. Hermione, who was by now an interesting shade of red, stared at them too. The twins unfroze and turned to each other, grinning like mad.
"I can't believe it! Bill's got a girlfriend!" They exclaimed, jumping around.
"Shut up!" Bill hissed.
"Bill's got a girlfriend, Bill's got a girlfriend." The twins sang, ignoring him.
"Fred, George, what's going on?" Percy came through the door.
When he spotted Hermione and Bill, who were blushing furiously, Bill helping Hermione to straighten her rather crumpled clothes, and just blinked and straightened his glasses.
"Oh." He said, as if he wasn't surprised at all.
"Percy, stop hogging the doorway!" Exclaimed an angry Ron from behind his brothers.
Fred and George had now gone into the living room, still singing to themselves and laughing so hard they cried. Bill and Hermione froze again, suddenly scared that Ron might blow up. Ron came through the doorway, saw them, and suddenly there was no time left to think.
Ron looked from Bill to Hermione and back again, steadily growing more and more furious, his face flushed. His fists clenched, and a vein on his forehead started to tick. Bill stepped in front of Hermione, so that he could protect her if the worst happened.
"Bill, what the hell is going on?" Ron asked. "Why are you and Hermione……Why are you with him, Hermione? What's going on?"
"Ron, please, let us explain." Bill tried, but Ron interrupted him.
"Explain? Explain what? That you're snogging the girl you know I like behind my back? Sorry, but I think that's too obvious for me to miss. How could you, Hermione? How could you do that to me?" He demanded, taking a step closer. "And you!" He turned to Bill again.
"How dare you put your filthy hands on my Hermione? Why the hell did you do that to me? You're supposed to be my brother! How dare you do that?" He screamed, clearly too angry to care he was repeating himself.
Like all Weasley's, Bill had a quick temper, and it flared now, when Ron was yelling at the girl he loved. Without thinking about what he said, he shouted back at Ron.
"Shut up!" He shouted, clenching his fists.
"NO I WON'T! WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Ron roared, loud enough to make Fred and George come running from the living room, wondering what was happening.
"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" Bill roared back.
Silence fell over the room after that. Harry and Ginny, who had been watching from the door, looked from Bill to Hermione, wondering what to think. Fred and George high-fived in the background, Percy nodded his head, as if he had expected that, and Charlie who had just entered through the front door, looked like someone had hit him in the back of the head with a board. Ron just stood there, gaping like a fish, anger gone to give way for confusion.
"I love her, alright?" Bill repeated, whispering now.
He buried his face in his hands, knowing that he'd screwed up badly this time. Hermione was bound to leave him now that she'd heard what he said; she was going to be scared away, just like he promised himself that she wouldn't be.
Someone took away the hands covering his face, and he looked into Hermione's eyes. He had never in his whole life been as scared as he was now. What if she rejected him, told him that she didn't really want him? What if she left?
"Thank you." She whispered, and kissed him.
"You're not mad at me?" He whispered back, hope starting to rise in his chest.
If she kissed him, there was hope, right?
"Why should I be mad at you for telling me you love me, when I feel the same?" She asked softly.
"You do?" He asked, shocked, watching as she nodded.
She loved him. She really loved him. He wasn't dreaming, it was real, and she had just told him she loved him. He smiled hesitantly. She smiled back and he kissed her again. When he broke the kiss again, he looked over her shoulder at the Burrow hallway, grinning like an idiot. Funny how he never noticed that the Burrow was so beautiful.
He didn't even notice when Charlie ordered them to be left alone, and manhandled Ron out of the hallway to cool down. All he could think about was Hermione, and hall he could do was hug her tightly and kiss her again and again.
*****'
Ending Notes; Ron will calm down in the next chapter, (if I feel like it) and you will get Mr and Mrs Weasley's reaction too.
Ryunne Inverse, thank you for the idea for this chapter. You know what I mean.
*****'
The annual invitation to the Burrow arrived the next day. Hermione had spent every day since she came home with Claire. Thankfully, the dark haired girl was in the bathroom when the letter arrived, and therefore could ask no questions. Pig arrived through the window, hooting happily, like the mentally retarded owl he was.
She took the letter, gave Pig an owl-treat and sent him on his way again. If she needed to send a reply, she could use Hettar. She sat down in a chair in the living room and started to read the letter.
Hermione
Mum said you're welcome to the Burrow for the rest of the summer. Harry's coming too. We've missed you; you haven't answered our letters. Your mum did, though. She said you were away with a friend of yours. Maybe you could tell us who it was when you come.
Ron.
"Oh, who's Ron? And why is he missing you?" Claire's voice asked from behind her.
Hermione jumped and spun around in her seat. Her friend was standing right behind her, reading over her shoulder.
"He and Harry are my best friends at school. I guess that's why." She shrugged.
"What's ´the Burrow´?" Claire sounded extremely curious now.
"His family's house. He's got six siblings; five older brothers and one younger sister." She explained. "His parents are the sweetest you'll ever see; always caring about their children, and even though they have very little money, they always buy the best they can for them."
"That's so cute! Well, are you going?" Claire exclaimed, jumping up and down before settling down in the second chair.
"I think so; I go every year. And besides, it'll be easier to meet Bill there. Bill is Ron's oldest brother." She added at Claire's puzzled look.
"Wait, you never told me how old this Bill is." Claire broke in, holding up a hand.
"Twenty-six." She admitted, blushing.
"Twenty-six? And your parents are ok with this?" Claire wondered.
"Yes, after I convinced them that Bill wasn't a horrible old cradle-snatcher and that he wouldn't take advantage of me. It took a while, but they got it."
"I never knew you'd like older men, Hermione. But I guess it's only logical; nobody our age would ever be able to keep up with you. So, why did he write you a letter instead of calling you up?" She wanted to know.
"He hasn't got a phone." Hermione lied quickly.
It wasn't exactly a lie, since unless Arthur Weasley had liberated one, they had no phone.
"Oh. So, can I come?" She asked eagerly.
"I'm afraid not; they haven't got room for more than me. But next time I go, I'll see if they can make room for you." Hermione promised.
Claire thanked her, threatened her that if she didn't tell more of her friends and her school, she'd be dead before sunrise, and left Hermione alone to think about the letter.
Of course, she wanted to go. She hadn't seen Ron and Harry all summer, and Ginny was nearly as good a friend as the boys. But that meant she'd have to face Bill too. She had no problems with Bill, in fact, she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless the next time she saw him, but that would be in front of his family, who didn't know about the two of them, an in front of Ron, who Bill was convinced had a crush on her.
The only way out of it seemed to be keeping their relationship secret until she could make clear to Ron that there could never be anything between the two of them. Not that she could keep away from Bill in the meantime. But the Burrow had enough little closets to hide in if it became necessary, she thought with an evil grin.
*****'
Bill stood in his living room looking at the new furniture he had bought, when an owl came swooping in through the open window. He took the letter and gave it something to eat, and before he had had time to see if the letter needed a reply, it was gone. Puzzled, he started reading the letter.
Dear Bill.
It's Hermione. I have some things to tell you. Firstly, I've received an invitation to the Burrow. Are you going to be there? Silly me, I know you are, you told me so. But what I really wanted to know was how we should tell your family about us.
I'm thinking we should keep it a secret, at least until I've convinced Ron that there can never be anything between the two of us besides friendship. Not that I am going to keep away from you in the meantime.
So what do you say? You don't need to reply to this, since I am sure Hettar left immediately to deliver the letter to Ron. We can talk about it at the Burrow.
Sincerely (because I have no idea how to end a letter)
Hermione
He chuckled. She was so much like him; both of the had a tendency to rant about things long after everyone else stopped caring, and none of them had any idea how to write a letter properly.
He tried to suppress his excitement at seeing her at the Burrow, but failed, making him feel like he was fifteen years old again. He folded the letter again, and walked over to the calendar hanging on the wall, trying to figure out how many days were left before he could see her again.
He set to work refurnishing his flat, all the while whistling under his breath. Without even noticing, he was whistling the song Hermione had played for him the day she showed him what a stereo was.
******'
After a tearful goodbye to Claire, Hermione threw a pinch of Floo-powder in the fire place and called ´the Burrow´. She stepped in, and seconds later, she stumbled out into the living room at the Burrow, covered in soot and coughing. Now she remembered why she hated travelling by Floo.
She was just dusting herself off when Fred stuck his head into the living room, looking for the source of the noise. When he saw Hermione, he grinned widely.
"Hermione! Now I know one boy who will be happy! Ron, Hermione's here!" He shouted up the stairs.
"Oh, no. Fred, please don't tell me he has a crush on me." She whispered to herself, too low for Fred to hear her.
Ron came running in with Harry behind him, and enveloped her in a rib-cracking hug. The two boys laughed at her appearance, and helped her dust herself off.
"Hermione! We haven't seen you in ages, and you didn't return our letters! Where were you?" Ron asked, grinning.
"With one of my Muggle friends. Let's go see if we can find Ginny now, shall we?" She asked, avoiding answering the question fully.
She caught Harry blushing at the mention of Ginny's name, and grinned to herself; no matter how much Ginny denied that she still had a crush on Harry, Hermione was sure she had, and even though Harry hadn't gone out with anyone since Cho, she'd caught him looking at Ginny more than once when he thought no one was looking.
She dragged them out of the room, but not before giving Fred, and George who appeared suddenly, a hug each. Over the years, the Weasley siblings had become more than just friends of hers. Now, she thought of them as the closest thing to brothers and sisters she'd ever have. The twins hugged her back and then disappeared up the stairs, probably to plan something for their joke-shop.
Out in the kitchen, she went over to give Molly Weasley a hug, and then moved on to Percy, who was sitting at the table, reading the Daily Prophet. He absently hugged her back, eyes never leaving the paper.
Charlie, who was taking a break from dragons, since the last one had tired to make a barbecue out of him, came in from the garden. He spotted Hermione and waved. Charlie was still single; on the ground that he hadn't met anyone ´who could understand him´ yet.
"Hiya, Hermione. Long time, no see, how are you doing?" He asked, while hugging her.
"I'm fine Charlie." She hugged back, chuckling.
"What about me? Do I get a hug?"
Hermione spun around and spotted Bill standing in the doorway, grinning. She walked over to him, and looked at him.
"Hmm, alright. But just because everyone else did." She said and hugged him too.
"Gee thanks, I feel so loved." Bill retorted.
"Don't be so sarcastic, it doesn't suit you." She said, letting go of him reluctantly. "Now, where's Ginny? I haven't seen her yet."
"I'm right, here, Hermione, now come and give me a hug and don't waste time with my hopeless fang-eared brother." The girl said from behind Bill.
"I'm still in the room, you know." Bill protested.
Ginny ignored him and hugged Hermione, and then proceeded to drag her out of the room, claiming that she had ´girl-stuff´ to discuss with her friend. Helplessly, Hermione mouthed ´Help me! ´ to the boys in the kitchen, who only chuckled.
******'
Ginny deposited both of them on her bed, and grinned at Hermione, Inwardly, Hermione heaved a sighed; she knew what was coming of course. Questions about whether or not she had a boyfriend, and how she was going to get one.
"So, Hermione, did you know that my ickle brother Ronniekins has a crush on you?" The redheaded girl asked, eyes twinkling.
Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't that. She had tried to convince herself that it possibly couldn't be that way, but when his own sister told her, she couldn't deny it any longer. She buried her face in her hands and groaned.
"No! Please tell me you are joking, Ginny." She pleaded, to no avail.
"No, I'm not joking. But what's wrong? I thought you'd be happy. Ron isn't that bad, you know." She said.
"There's nothing wrong with Ron. It's just that I don't see him in that light; he's more of a brother to me. I could never be his girlfriend, never." She said, slumping back on the bed.
"Really, now? Have you got a boyfriend you haven't told me about?" Ginny asked, looking curious.
"No."
"So you don't want to be with Ron, but you haven't got anyone else? Why don't we fix you p with someone, then?" The redhead asked.
"No, Ginny, I don't want to. If I get a boyfriend, it's going to be because I chose him myself." She said, sighing.
If Ginny only knew that if she could, she would go straight down the stairs, and kiss Bill senseless. It took every bit of self-discipline she had not to blurt out everything to Ginny.
*****'
Bill was staring out into thin air, daydreaming about a certain brown-haired girl, and therefore didn't notice his twin brothers sneaking up on him until they threw a discarded marble on his head. He jumped and glared at them, rubbing his head.
"What was that for?" He grumbled.
"Ickle Bill is daydreaming." They chorused, grinning madly.
"I'm not." He protested. "I'm thinking."
"Ah, Bill has a girlfriend!" Fred said, still grinning.
"No I don't." He said. "If you must know, I'm thinking about my next assignment. So kindly leave me alone." He said, scowling at them.
The twins laughed and ran upstairs again. From the way they acted, no one could guess they were twenty years old. He went back to hi daydreaming, not noticing that he was whistling again.
*****'
The day passed quickly, and soon they were gathered around a table in the backyard, much like they had before the Quidditch World Cup. As luck would have it, Hermione ended up seated between Ginny and Bill, with Ron right across from her, next to Harry.
Halfway through the meal, she felt someone's foot on her own, and she looked up, puzzled. She saw Ron looking at her from across the table, a smug look on his face. Annoyed, she moved her legs out of the way, quickly. After shooting a dark look at Ron, she turned to Bill, asking him something about his new job in England.
Ron didn't give up, however. Next time his foot came close to her own, she kicked him, and moved her legs again. This time, he gave up, but when she glanced at him across the table, she saw he had a determined look on his face, making her curse inwardly.
******'
The next day, she finally got Bill for herself. They ran into each other in the hallway, when everyone else was still in the kitchen eating breakfast, or outside, de-gnoming the garden. She took hold of his arm, and pulled him to face her.
"Bill, we need to come up with a way to get Ron to realize that I don't want him." She said in a low voice.
"Not here, come on." He whispered and led her down the hallway.
He pulled her into a broom closet, and closed the door behind them. He turned to her, and couldn't resist pulling her into a hug. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed contently.
"Now, what about Ron?" Bill asked.
She told him about what had happened at dinner last night, and muttered curses under his breath for a long time afterwards.
"My brother deserves a good beating. Now, ask Ginny for help; she knows what she's doing." Bill advised her.
"Alright." Hermione whispered and made for the door again.
She was grabbed by Bill as soon as her hand was on the door handle. He pulled her back and grinned at her.
"You didn't think you'd be going anywhere without giving me a kiss first, did you?" He asked, and without waiting for a reply, he kissed her.
Hermione blinked, a little dazed, and then smiled at him.
"I really have to go now; I do not want to think about what Ginny will say when she finds me gone."
Bill stayed behind, leaning against the wall. How would he ever be able to tell her? He loved her more for every passing day, and no longer cared if it was illogical or wrong. But she couldn't feel the same, could she?
******'
Hermione sat down on Ginny's bed, smiling dreamily. Bill was the most considerate and sweet man she'd ever met. She just couldn't stop thinking about him. Last night, she even dreamed about him. She had, several times already, been forced to bite her tongue as to not talk about him in front of Ginny more than necessary.
Just as she thought about her, Ginny stepped in, and Hermione slipped the smile off her face as fast as she could. The redheaded girl sat down beside her and threw an arm around her shoulder.
"I ran into Bill on the way up here, and he told me something curious. He told me that you wanted help to get rid of Ron's attention." Ginny told her.
"Yes." Hermione said, trying to sound miserable.
The truth was that she was nearly jumping up and down, singing at the top of her voice because Bill had talked about her. Unreasonable behaviour, but even so.
"Now, it isn't going to happen."
"What? Why not?" Hermione asked alarmed.
"Because Ron isn't going to give up. Never. Unless you shock him badly, he is never going to leave you alone. My suggestion is that you get yourself a boyfriend." Ginny advised her.
"Oh, no, you are not going to set me up with anyone, Ginny; I'll take care of this myself. Trust me, I can do this. If I need a boyfriend to scare him off, I can get one without your help." Hermione told her friend.
"Oh, alright, but you can always come to me if you need any help. Please?" Ginny pleaded.
"I will, Ginny, I will. By the way, have I ever told you about my Muggle friend Claire?" Hermione said, quickly changing subjects.
"No, you never told me anything about your Muggle friends." Ginny said, interested.
Thanking whatever deities were listening that the distraction had worked, Hermione started telling Ginny about her Muggle life.
********'
Hermione told Bill about what Ginny had said as soon as she could, and they spent some time in the backyard, under the excuse that they were de-gnoming it instead of Fred and George, discussing what they should do about it. They came to the conclusion that they had to break the story to his family, but they still had no idea how, only that they had to do it soon.
Two days passed, during which Ron became more and more insistent, and Hermione was getting more and more desperate. Then, suddenly, Mr and Mrs Weasley announced that they had to go to London to visit a relative, and that they left Charlie and Bill in charge of the younger children.
The twins celebrated the parent-less day by setting off their newest invention, which proved to be a cross between Exploding Snap and Filibusters Fireworks, in the backyard, resulting in a huge explosion.
Everyone, including Percy ran out of the house to see what the fuss was about, and the twins ran for it. The only ones who didn't get out of the house were Hermione and Bill. Instead, they hid in the closet.
Hermione was going to talk to him about Ron, but all thoughts were neatly packed together and thrown out the window when he kissed her. Deciding she could fuss about Ron's behaviour later, she kissed him back, and they soon lost track of the world around them.
Therefore, they didn't hear Fred and George when the twins came sneaking up to the closet, intent on hiding in there until it had blown over. Pranksters soon learn when to start running. Fred opened the door, glancing over his shoulder at George, just about to say something, when he caught the expression on his twin's face.
George looked like he had seen a ghost, completely pale and his eyes were easily the size of golf balls. Throwing a quizzical glance at his twin, Fred turned his head to see what George was so scared of, and came face to face with his eldest brother and his youngest brother's best friend, snogging each others brains out.
"Bill?" He said faintly.
Bill immediately broke away from the kiss, and stared at them. Hermione, who was by now an interesting shade of red, stared at them too. The twins unfroze and turned to each other, grinning like mad.
"I can't believe it! Bill's got a girlfriend!" They exclaimed, jumping around.
"Shut up!" Bill hissed.
"Bill's got a girlfriend, Bill's got a girlfriend." The twins sang, ignoring him.
"Fred, George, what's going on?" Percy came through the door.
When he spotted Hermione and Bill, who were blushing furiously, Bill helping Hermione to straighten her rather crumpled clothes, and just blinked and straightened his glasses.
"Oh." He said, as if he wasn't surprised at all.
"Percy, stop hogging the doorway!" Exclaimed an angry Ron from behind his brothers.
Fred and George had now gone into the living room, still singing to themselves and laughing so hard they cried. Bill and Hermione froze again, suddenly scared that Ron might blow up. Ron came through the doorway, saw them, and suddenly there was no time left to think.
Ron looked from Bill to Hermione and back again, steadily growing more and more furious, his face flushed. His fists clenched, and a vein on his forehead started to tick. Bill stepped in front of Hermione, so that he could protect her if the worst happened.
"Bill, what the hell is going on?" Ron asked. "Why are you and Hermione……Why are you with him, Hermione? What's going on?"
"Ron, please, let us explain." Bill tried, but Ron interrupted him.
"Explain? Explain what? That you're snogging the girl you know I like behind my back? Sorry, but I think that's too obvious for me to miss. How could you, Hermione? How could you do that to me?" He demanded, taking a step closer. "And you!" He turned to Bill again.
"How dare you put your filthy hands on my Hermione? Why the hell did you do that to me? You're supposed to be my brother! How dare you do that?" He screamed, clearly too angry to care he was repeating himself.
Like all Weasley's, Bill had a quick temper, and it flared now, when Ron was yelling at the girl he loved. Without thinking about what he said, he shouted back at Ron.
"Shut up!" He shouted, clenching his fists.
"NO I WON'T! WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Ron roared, loud enough to make Fred and George come running from the living room, wondering what was happening.
"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" Bill roared back.
Silence fell over the room after that. Harry and Ginny, who had been watching from the door, looked from Bill to Hermione, wondering what to think. Fred and George high-fived in the background, Percy nodded his head, as if he had expected that, and Charlie who had just entered through the front door, looked like someone had hit him in the back of the head with a board. Ron just stood there, gaping like a fish, anger gone to give way for confusion.
"I love her, alright?" Bill repeated, whispering now.
He buried his face in his hands, knowing that he'd screwed up badly this time. Hermione was bound to leave him now that she'd heard what he said; she was going to be scared away, just like he promised himself that she wouldn't be.
Someone took away the hands covering his face, and he looked into Hermione's eyes. He had never in his whole life been as scared as he was now. What if she rejected him, told him that she didn't really want him? What if she left?
"Thank you." She whispered, and kissed him.
"You're not mad at me?" He whispered back, hope starting to rise in his chest.
If she kissed him, there was hope, right?
"Why should I be mad at you for telling me you love me, when I feel the same?" She asked softly.
"You do?" He asked, shocked, watching as she nodded.
She loved him. She really loved him. He wasn't dreaming, it was real, and she had just told him she loved him. He smiled hesitantly. She smiled back and he kissed her again. When he broke the kiss again, he looked over her shoulder at the Burrow hallway, grinning like an idiot. Funny how he never noticed that the Burrow was so beautiful.
He didn't even notice when Charlie ordered them to be left alone, and manhandled Ron out of the hallway to cool down. All he could think about was Hermione, and hall he could do was hug her tightly and kiss her again and again.
*****'
Ending Notes; Ron will calm down in the next chapter, (if I feel like it) and you will get Mr and Mrs Weasley's reaction too.