Telling Ron
Chapter 20: Hogsmeade
Author's Note: Wow guys, thanks for all the reviews for last chapter! I liked it a lot myself but wow! I'm really sorry, I know I said I would have this chapter up by last night but it's a long chapter and I stayed up late working on it but finally had to go to bed. Then today I was at at Nutcracker practice until 5:45 and didn't get home til 6:00. Ok, lots of things are going to happen this chapter so I hope you all like it! If you don't like parts I'm sorry but I had some new ideas and put them in. Here we go!
Ginny rifled through her closet, searching for something suitable to wear to Hogsmeade. It was freezing outside and she wanted something warm but pretty.
"I told Harry I love him while we were downstairs," Ginny said looking back at Hermione.
"Really? What did he do?" Hermione asked interestedly while easily pulling out a black shirt and blue jumper.
"Well, I was balling and blabbering about scaring him away and he was all comforting and said I never would. He didn't say he loved me back but he didn't seem surprised or anything either." She pulled out a long- sleeved purple shirt to look at in the mirror.
"Harry hasn't liked you as long as you've liked him. Give him time. I'm sure he'll say it eventually."
Ginny nodded hopefully and finally chose a warm, red jumper and black pants. After she dressed, she brushed her hair and applied makeup.
"Hermione, would you like some makeup?"
"No thanks, Gin."
"Why not? You'd look really fabulous with some on!"
Hermione just smiled and shook her head. Ginny sighed in defeat but vowed to herself that one day she would make Hermione wear makeup. They finished getting ready and went downstairs to breakfast. Hermione sat next to Ron and kissed his cheek.
"Morning love," he said softly in her ear.
Mrs.Weasley looked at them lovingly then turned back to cooking the bacon. Ginny sat next to Harry and put her foot on his. When no one was looking, this was their natural sitting position. Mrs. Weasley brought the plates of food to the table and handed Ron a note. He looked at it curiously then back up at his mother.
"I don't know what it is. Fred and George requested that I give it to you when you came down. They left to open their shop already," she said sarcastically then turned around and went to her room.
"What's wrong with her?" Hermione asked.
"Oh she's still mad that the twins left school early to open a joke shop. She thought she could talk them into joining the Ministry. Don't know why she'd want them to do that since they're all just a bunch of prats except Dad. And a few others," he said as an after thought.
"I can understand that she'd want them to have good jobs."
"Come on Hermione, they're making loads of money and they're happy. What's the problem?"
"Well selling jokes isn't a very respectable job."
"They gets tons of respect!"
"From children!"
Ginny threw a piece of bacon at the side of Ron's head and he turned to her angrily.
"What do think you're doing?!"
"Making you two shut up! Don't get in a stupid argument before we go Christmas shopping! Look Hermione, the twins love their job and aren't going to change so leave it alone. Ron, they don't have the best job ever so don't make it sound like they're kings."
Ron looked ready to comment back but Hermione put her hand over his mouth.
"She's right. We need to stop."
Ron gave her an annoyed look and she took her hand off. He looked down at the note in his hands and opened it apprehensively. He skimmed it over and groaned, slumping down in his chair. Hermione peeked over at it and giggled. Ginny snatched the note out of his hand and read it out loud.
Ronnie-poo,
Meet us at our shop at 1:00 sharp. Come by yourself, don't bring Hermione or Harry. We need to have a chat, if you know what we mean. Don't be worried, little brother, it'll be fun!
Your loving brothers,
Fred and George
Ginny and Harry laughed at him.
"Ha ha! You have to 'chat' with Fred and George!" Ginny said, gleefully. Ron glared at her.
"Well when you get a boyfriend, Fred, George, and me will all have a chat with him!"
Ginny nervously looked at the table then slightly at Harry whose face lost all happiness at the mention of Ginny's boyfriend. He turned red and coughed unnaturally. Hermione suppressed a laugh. "It's 'and I' Ron." He grunted at her.
"No you won't," Ginny said. "I've had two boyfriends already and you never said anything to them."
"How do you know?" Ron looked at her superiorly.
"Because they would have told me."
"What if I threatened them not to tell you?"
Ginny snorted. "Michael may have bought that but Dean isn't afraid of you. He could easily defend himself against you."
Ron recoiled a bit and muttered to himself. Harry rolled his eyes at Ron at the same time as Hermione.
"Come on, lets get our coats and leave."
Ron stayed where he was as the others stood. Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him off the chair. He resisted but eventually followed. They got their winter robes on and stood around the fireplace. Mrs.Weasley came in to say good bye and one by one, they took some floo powder and entered the fireplace.
Once they were all out, they headed to the Three Broomsticks for a quick butterbeer. Each couple paired up to buy presents for the other two. Hermione and Ron walked to Honeydukes to get some candy. They wandered the shelves of sweets and picked out bagfuls to divide up between everyone. Then they went to a couple other shops to buy gifts and finally went back to the Three Broomsticks to wait for Ginny and Harry.
Harry and Ginny finished their shopping for the other two and headed back to meet them. Ginny noticed an empty corner by the wall and pulled Harry into it. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned against him.
"I've been with you all day and I can't even touch you," she whispered.
"Yeah, it's rather annoying."
He looked into her eyes and bent to kiss her forehead. She held his face and pulled his lips to hers for one long kiss. After one more hug, they left the corner and met up with Ron and Hermione. The girls left in one direction and the boys went the opposite.
"What are you getting Harry for Christmas?" Hermione asked Ginny.
"Oh I've already made his gift."
"You have? What is it?" Hermione looked at her surprised.
"I made him a beautiful black jumper. Mum taught me how to make clothes this summer so I decided to make his gift," Ginny told her proudly.
"Wow Gin, that's wonderful! You'll have to show me when we get home. It sounds lovely."
Ginny beamed at her then asked, "So what are you getting Ron?"
"I want to buy him a watch. I've never seen him with one so I thought he might like to know the time on his own. There's a place up ahead that sells watches."
"Actually Ron's said before that he'd like a watch but Mum and Dad can't afford it."
They entered the shop and a clerk greeted them. He was a short little man with silvery hair and a bright, white smile. He wore sky blue robes with matching shoes.
"Hello lovely ladies! Welcome to our shop! What can I do for you?" he asked, excitedly.
They walked to the counter and Hermione smiled back at him. "Hi, I'm looking for a nice watch for my boyfriend."
"Oh yes, I have loads of watches suitable for a boyfriend!" He exclaimed. He disappeared for a moment and the girls peeked over the counter to see where he went and found that he had only stepped off his stool. Without it, he was only up to Hermione's elbows. Ginny giggled and covered her mouth quickly as he came back up carrying a medium-sized, black case. He opened it to show rows and rows of beautiful gold and silver watches. Hermione gasped and he grinned widely at her.
"Wonderful, aren't they?" She nodded and he pulled out several for her to hold. After twenty minutes of searching, she finally picked out a gold one with a wide band and artistically written numbers. He wrapped it up for her and told her the price. Ginny gasped.
"Hermione that's really expensive!" Hermione just shook her head and handed the clerk the money. He eagerly took it and happily presented her with the new watch. She took it and thanked him profusely.
"It was nothing my dear! Please come again if you ever want another!"
They said good bye and left the shop. Ginny looked at Hermione strangely and Hermione tutted at her.
"What are you staring at?"
"Well Hermione, Ron would've been happy with a watch half that price. You really didn't need to get one like that. I'm sure he won't spend near that much on you."
"Ginny I don't care how much it costs or how much he spends on me. I wanted to get it for him because I love him, not because I expect something nice in return. I could care less what I get. Do you care what Harry gets you?"
"No! I was just surprised, that's all. Besides, Harry asking me to be his girlfriend was a big enough gift to last me the rest of my life." Ginny thought of him and smiled. Hermione grinned at her.
"So how was it earlier? Must have been hard not being able to hold his hand or anything."
"Yeah it was but we found a place to be alone for a few minutes."
"When do you think you're going to tell people?"
"I don't know. Especially after what Ron said earlier. Harry and I were so obvious but Ron didn't seem to notice. He was too busy being tough, " she said, rolling her eyes. Hermione laughed and they went to a few other shops and finally walked back into the Three Brommsticks for another butterbeer.
Harry and Ron headed off to a jewelry shop to find a gift for Hermione. They found one and entered it. Ron walked straight to the rings and Harry looked at him curiously.
"What are you doing? You aren't proposing are you?"
"Don't be stupid Harry. I'm only sixteen."
"Then why are you getting her a ring?"
"Because my Mum told me one time that when my Dad and her said they loved each other, my dad bought her a ring for her to wear saying she was his. It wasn't an engagement ring. Mum said she loved it loads and still has it. I think Hermione would like one."
Harry nodded in agreement and they browsed the counters. Harry wondered what to get Ginny and finally found something he liked. He decided to come back later when Ron went to see the twins to buy it.
"Wow Harry, look at this one!" Ron pointed to a gold ring that looked like a wreath of small flowers. He asked the attendent to take it out and Ron looked at it from every angle. He grinned.
"This is the one!" The attendent smiled at him and took it.
"Would you like anything engraved on the inside?"
Ron looked at Harry questioningly and he shrugged. Ron searched his mind and finally thought of something simple but meaningful.
"To my Hermione, Love Ron," he stated proudly. She had him write it down then said, "I'm guessing this is for a girlfriend." He confirmed and she led him to a nearby case of little boxes.
"How would you like to put it in a promise box? When you love someone and think you're going to spend the rest of your life with them, you can give one of these. You can have something written on it also." He looked at them and saw how pretty they were. He picked out the nicest one and had "I Love You Hermione-Ron" written on the top. The attendent told him the price and he pulled out a handful of money without hesitation. Harry's eyes widened in surprise.
"Where did you get all that?"
"I've been saving up since last Christmas to get her something really nice. I mean I didn't know I would be her boyfriend but I hoped."
The ring was placed in the box and the boys left the store. They went to a few other shops and Ron asked Harry the time.
"It's 12:45."
"Damn, I have to leave. I'll see you later at the Three Brommsricks when I'm done being tortured." Harry wished him luck and turned back to the jewelry store when Ron was out of sight.
Ron walked towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes feeling nervous, wondering what they wanted to talk about. He entered the very crowded store to find children running around everywhere and Fred at the counter wearing a big orange bow tie with Lee Jordan beside him in a giant, bright blue hat.
"Ronnie! Right on time! Go to the back room. George and I will be there soon!" Ron looked around and saw George demonstrating the latest joke to a group of fascinated little boys. He was wearing a chartreuse tie that reached down to his knees. Ron chuckled to himself. He headed to the back room and closed the door, blocking out all the noise. He looked around and saw loads of boxes exploding with pranks and toys. The walls were covered with promotional posters with the twins smiling broadly and waving around their products. There was a fireplace opposite him and he was tempted to use it to escape. He knew it would do no good since his brothers knew where he slept. He saw a table and chairs by the wall and sat in one. Ten minutes later, the twins opened the door and came in smiling happily.
"Ah, customers. We love them dearly." Fred loosened his tie and pulled it over his head. George did the same and sat across from Ron giving him a toothy grin.
"So where's Lee?" Ron asked, hoping if he was there he wouldn't have to chat.
"Out to lunch," George answered. Ron looked down at his hands, disappointed. Fred pulled out a chair between the other two and crossed his arms.
"So Ron, how's it going with Hermione?" Fred asked seriously. Ron looked up at him surprised. He hadn't expected a comment that wasn't full of teasing.
"Um it's fine..."
"Have you had a fight with her yet?" George put his ankle up on his other knee and leaned forward towards Ron.
"Well yeah we've had a couple," Ron answered turning red.
"Good," Fred said satisfied. "A relationship without fights won't last long. It brings a little excitement and gives you a chance to make up," he continued and winked at Ron as George nudged him, waggling his eyebrows. These were the brothers Ron knew.
"Now we don't want you two going too far yet. You better wait until you're out of school for that. I don't think it would be a good idea for any Ron Jr's running around. Or little 'Mione's," George said.
"So we wanted to tell you to take it slow and stay at a comfortable level. Now we know that Hermione is a good girl but the Weasley men can be very persuasive," Fred said, smirking. "Why do you think Mum and Dad had seven of us?" Ron wrinlked his nose in disgust at the thought of his parents. Fred nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it's digusting. We know. So, what did you get Hermione for Christmas?"
"Do I really have to tell you?"
"Yes, unless you want something unpleasant for your gift form us." George smirked at him. "We need to see if you bought something appropriate."
"What would I get that would be innapropriate?" Ron asked.
"Just tell us what you got and we'll tell you if it is or not." Fred raised his eyebrows at Ron, waiting to hear the answer. Ron groaned.
"Fine," he said, pulling out the box and ring. He handed it to Fred who opened it next to George. They looked at the ring and the inscription, their faces devoid of emotion. Ron watched them anxiously waiting to hear their opinion. They continued to look at it then turned to each other as though having a silent conversation. They nodded and Fred closed the box. He handed it back to Ron and he looked at them curiously.
"Well?"
They looked at him and their faces broke into wide smiles.
"Well done, little brother," George answered. "You've got an excellent gift there."
"Really?" Ron looked at them in surprise. "You think so?"
They nodded and he gave a sigh of relief. Fred looked at the clock and stood up.
"Time to reopen the shop. You'd better get back to the others. See you at dinner tonight." George ruffled Ron's hair causing it to stand up and Fred winked at him. Ron smoothed down his hair and left the shop. He headed to the Three Broomsticks with a feeling of relief and peace. He passed a small alley and suddenly felt a hand go over his mouth and eyes. More arms grabbed his waist and pulled him backwards into the alley. He struggled to move and make a sound but he failed.
"No one to save you this time," a cold voice said. He was carried along for a few minutes and finally set down. The hands moved off his mouth and eyes and he was face to face with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Before he could do anything, they began hitting him and there was nothing he could do to get away. His back was against a wall and he couldn't get past them. They punched his face and arms until he was down on the ground. They kicked him a few times and pushed him up against the wall. Malfoy gave him one last smack in the face and grinned down at him, evilly.
"That'll teach you and your friends to mess with me." He turned and the three walked down the alley and out of sight. Ron stayed still, afraid to move. His head hurt horribly and he felt his mouth, nose and many other places bleeding. After lying there a few minutes to build up some strength, he slowly sat up against the wall and hoisted himself up. He walked tentatively out of the alley and headed up the street to the Three Broomsticks. As soon as he entered, people gasped and Hermione turned her head. Her eyes bulged and her mouth fell open. She ran to him with Ginny and Harry close behind.
"Ron what on earth happened!?" Hermione cried. He staggered to a chair and sat down, heavily. She knealt in front of him and Ginny and Harry went on either side of him. Ron coughed and looked down at Hermione. She had tears running down her cheeks and he took her hand.
"I'll be fine Hermione, don't worry," he said, croakily. She stared at him, shocked.
"You'll be fine? Ron you act like you have a paper cut! Look at you! Who did this? Why?" She sobbed and looked at him for an answer.
"Malfoy."
Hermione opened her mouth and anger filled her eyes. Harry stood up and walked out the door. Ginny watched his back then followed him. Hermione grabbed a napkin and handed it to Ron. He put it on his bleeding nose and she put one on a cut on his forehead. Fred and George came in a door by the back and jogged over to Ron and Hermione.
"Madame Rosmerta told us you were here. What happened?" Fred asked.
"Malfoy beat him up!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Malfoy did all that to you?" George raised his eyebrow.
"He had Crabbe and Goyle with him." Ron told them what happened and the twins became angry.
"Stupid git! We'll show him!" Fred pulled out his wand as Harry and Ginny reentered.
"Too late. We took care of him," Harry said, running a hand through his hair.
"What did you do?" Hermione asked.
"Gave him a couple good hexes and stunned him," Ginny answered.
"That doesn't really equal what he did to Ron," Fred said, sarcastically.
"No, but we did turn his hair green and I gave him a lovely makeover with that paint you two invented that stays on for 48 hours," she said, gesturing to the twins. "I had some in my purse. He will also probably have a dreadful backache since he was thrown into the wall when Harry stunned him."
Fred and George smiled at each other at the mention of the paint and patted Harry on the back.
"We'll make something you guys can take back to school to bother Malfoy with. Too bad we won't be able to see it."
"Where were Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked. He took another napkin and pressed it to his bloody arm.
"I don't really know," Harry answered. "I wondered that myself. I didn't know where to look for Malfoy but he was walking up the street and I hexed him. Then Ginny came up and gave him the bat-bogey. I eventually stunned him and Crabbe and Goyle never came."
"We should get you home Ron," Hermione said, taking his arm to lift him. "Can you walk alright?" He nodded and pulled himself up with the assistance of Hermione and his brothers.
"You can use my fire in the back," Madame Rosmerta said to them, pointing to the door Fred and George had come through. They walked in the door and each used some floo powder to go back to the Burrow. Mrs.Weasley was knitting in the living room when they came out of the fireplace and smiled when she saw them come in. When Ron stepped out, she leapt to her feet and ran to him.
"Ron what happened to you?" she shrieked. She took his arm and led him to the couch. She took off his winter clothing as he told her what happened. She shook her head sadly and told Ginny to get her water and soap. Ginny brought it to her and Mrs.Weasley lifted his shirt, revealing cuts and scratches everywhere. Hermione, Ginny, and her mother began washing his many injuries and he flinched frequently at the pain.
Harry pulled off his robes and set them down on a chair. He suddenly wondered where Hermione's promise box and ring were and searched through Ron's robes as naturally as he could. Ron noticed him and understood what he was doing. He watched Harry anxiously until he saw Harry's face become relaxed. He nodded at Ron and Ron sighed in relief. Harry took his and Ron's robes to their room and took the box out of the pocket of Ron's robes. He put the box under Ron's pillow and hid his own purchases under his bed. He went back downstairs to see Ron leaning against the couch with his shirt back down and Hermione leaning lightly on his shoulder. Her fingers were laced through his and she looked up at him, her eyes roaming his face. Mrs. Weasley came in with a tray of tea and instructed the others to sit and have a cup.
"Here Ron," Hermione said, handing him his tea.
"Thanks Love," he answered, taking the cup and kissing the top of her head.
"Where did Fred and George go?" Harry asked, noticing their absence.
"Left to close up the shop," Ron told him. Harry nodded and looked at Ginny. She seemed deep in thought and he wished he could read her mind. She set down her cup and walked upstairs, looking at Harry as she went. Harry checked to see if Ron was looking but he was talking to Hermione. Harry stood and followed Ginny. He looked in her room and saw her sitting on the bed. She looked up as he shut the door and smiled at him.
"Hi. Are you okay?" he asked, sitting down next to her. She nodded and he put his arm around her shoulders. She put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist.
"Just mad at Malfoy. I can't believe he did that. You guys didn't totally beat him up, you just punched him. Well, you did knock him out but still."
"I know. Too bad he didn't go to Durmstrang like he said his dad wanted him to."
"That would have been nice."
"So did you have fun in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, turning to face her and taking her hands in his. She nodded and leaned to kiss him. He closed his eyes and met her lips. Their lips caressed each other and his arms made their way to her waist. She layed one hand on his shoulder and the other behind his head. She ran her fingers through his hair and he rubbed her back. He led a trail of kisses from her mouth down to her neck and landed below her ear. She sighed happily and tilted her head. He made his way back to her lips and they snogged each other deeply. Eventually they parted and left the room. At the bottom of the stairs, Fred's voice called out to them from a chair nearby.
"Look up you two."
They looked up to see a piece of mistletoe hanging above them on the ceiling. Ginny laughed nervously and Harry blushed. Fred winked and turned around to George.
"It's a tradition," George reminded them. They looked at each other and Harry leaned down to her face. He saw the twins watching them out of the corner of his eye and touched his lips to hers. They lingered for a moment and then pulled away. The twins seemed satisfied and stopped looking at them. Harry rolled his eyes at Ginny and she giggled. They went to the living room to see where Ron and Hermione were and found them asleep on the couch. They were positioned similar to the way they were in the common room the time before. Ginny sat down to start her homework and Harry read a Quidditch book.
After their victims left, Fred and George stood to take down the mistletoe.
"Wouldn't want Harry and Hermione to land under it by accident," George chuckled.
"Yep it'd mess up everything," Fred agreed.
Author's Note: Sort of cliffy but not really. So, how was it? Good, bad, in between? I wanted something different to happen and make the story less happy-go-lucky, lovey-dovey even though it went back to that when they got home. Oh well. How'd I do? Tell me what you thought, even if you hated it. Some unanswered questions this chapter. What'd Harry buy Ginny? What are Fred and George up to? Find out when I update tomorrow (Sunday). I promise I will! I finally figured out all the gifts between the four. I don't have every single gift that will be given to everyone but the ones you guys'll be interested in will be mentioned. Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas! The promise box idea came form HermioneClone, the sweater idea came form GinnyPotter (even though it was suggested for Ron), and Puppydog_eyes gave the idea for the watch. Thanks to all of you!
Individuals:
Miss Metallic: Thank you! That's very flattering!
hP fAn Fo LyFe: Thanks, I'll try!
'Mione Weasley: Hi! It's going well! Glad you liked the last chapter! Hope you liked this one too! I agree, school sucks!
Kagome19: Thank you! Some people have complained about the cliffhangers so I decided to tone it down. I can't do it everytime, you'd all hate me! I try to update quickly because it bothers me when authors don't update for really long periods of time. Sometimes, however, things happen and I don't update when I wanted to. Unless you have an idea for someone other than Ginny to Harry, Harry to Ginny, Ron to Hermione, and Hermione to Ron, don't wory about e-mailing me. I've got it figured out. Thanks though!
HermioneClone: Thanks! You're welcome about the cliffhangers. I didn't want my reviewers mad at me so I stopped.
ron'sbabygur1: Thank you! I know, checkmated is really slow. I sort of want to tell people who read my story there that more is on ff.net but then I wouldn't get any reviews there. Maybe that'd be better. My beta doesn't always update my chapters when I send them in. Chapter 12 is still in the queue after I put it in on Wednesday! I hoped to have the chapters get matched up soon on both sites but it's difficult when my beta won't put them up! That's why I like ff.net because the chapters get put up within a few hours because you don't have to wait for a beta to read it first. Anyway, glad you read the rest and that you like it!
Ginny Potter: Thanks, glad you liked it!
Lily106: I know! I bet he will have nightmares in the future books about Sirius and the events at the Ministry. It's going to be really sad. : (
DanceChic0869: Yeah it was pretty sad and cute. Fluffiness...I love it!
Cinderella: Lol, thanks! That's so nice of you! I'm going to make as many chapters as possible!
Manga-lunatic: Thank you, I will!
Sweetale777: Thank you! I will keep writing, it's so...fullfilling, I guess is the word. I'll update the next chapter tomorrow so look for it!
Me221: Yep I did! Hope you liked it! Sorry if you didn't!
PiNkRiBbOn13dancegirl: Yeah I think the picture idea is in another fic. I hope my ideas are good!
KrisKG: Don't worry about it! We all have stuff going on in our lives. Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you liked this one too!
Puppydog_eyes: Oh, thanks. I was just curious. Yes, fluff! Yay!
Joots: Thank you! And thanks for telling me it was dramatic irony!
Chapter 20: Hogsmeade
Author's Note: Wow guys, thanks for all the reviews for last chapter! I liked it a lot myself but wow! I'm really sorry, I know I said I would have this chapter up by last night but it's a long chapter and I stayed up late working on it but finally had to go to bed. Then today I was at at Nutcracker practice until 5:45 and didn't get home til 6:00. Ok, lots of things are going to happen this chapter so I hope you all like it! If you don't like parts I'm sorry but I had some new ideas and put them in. Here we go!
Ginny rifled through her closet, searching for something suitable to wear to Hogsmeade. It was freezing outside and she wanted something warm but pretty.
"I told Harry I love him while we were downstairs," Ginny said looking back at Hermione.
"Really? What did he do?" Hermione asked interestedly while easily pulling out a black shirt and blue jumper.
"Well, I was balling and blabbering about scaring him away and he was all comforting and said I never would. He didn't say he loved me back but he didn't seem surprised or anything either." She pulled out a long- sleeved purple shirt to look at in the mirror.
"Harry hasn't liked you as long as you've liked him. Give him time. I'm sure he'll say it eventually."
Ginny nodded hopefully and finally chose a warm, red jumper and black pants. After she dressed, she brushed her hair and applied makeup.
"Hermione, would you like some makeup?"
"No thanks, Gin."
"Why not? You'd look really fabulous with some on!"
Hermione just smiled and shook her head. Ginny sighed in defeat but vowed to herself that one day she would make Hermione wear makeup. They finished getting ready and went downstairs to breakfast. Hermione sat next to Ron and kissed his cheek.
"Morning love," he said softly in her ear.
Mrs.Weasley looked at them lovingly then turned back to cooking the bacon. Ginny sat next to Harry and put her foot on his. When no one was looking, this was their natural sitting position. Mrs. Weasley brought the plates of food to the table and handed Ron a note. He looked at it curiously then back up at his mother.
"I don't know what it is. Fred and George requested that I give it to you when you came down. They left to open their shop already," she said sarcastically then turned around and went to her room.
"What's wrong with her?" Hermione asked.
"Oh she's still mad that the twins left school early to open a joke shop. She thought she could talk them into joining the Ministry. Don't know why she'd want them to do that since they're all just a bunch of prats except Dad. And a few others," he said as an after thought.
"I can understand that she'd want them to have good jobs."
"Come on Hermione, they're making loads of money and they're happy. What's the problem?"
"Well selling jokes isn't a very respectable job."
"They gets tons of respect!"
"From children!"
Ginny threw a piece of bacon at the side of Ron's head and he turned to her angrily.
"What do think you're doing?!"
"Making you two shut up! Don't get in a stupid argument before we go Christmas shopping! Look Hermione, the twins love their job and aren't going to change so leave it alone. Ron, they don't have the best job ever so don't make it sound like they're kings."
Ron looked ready to comment back but Hermione put her hand over his mouth.
"She's right. We need to stop."
Ron gave her an annoyed look and she took her hand off. He looked down at the note in his hands and opened it apprehensively. He skimmed it over and groaned, slumping down in his chair. Hermione peeked over at it and giggled. Ginny snatched the note out of his hand and read it out loud.
Ronnie-poo,
Meet us at our shop at 1:00 sharp. Come by yourself, don't bring Hermione or Harry. We need to have a chat, if you know what we mean. Don't be worried, little brother, it'll be fun!
Your loving brothers,
Fred and George
Ginny and Harry laughed at him.
"Ha ha! You have to 'chat' with Fred and George!" Ginny said, gleefully. Ron glared at her.
"Well when you get a boyfriend, Fred, George, and me will all have a chat with him!"
Ginny nervously looked at the table then slightly at Harry whose face lost all happiness at the mention of Ginny's boyfriend. He turned red and coughed unnaturally. Hermione suppressed a laugh. "It's 'and I' Ron." He grunted at her.
"No you won't," Ginny said. "I've had two boyfriends already and you never said anything to them."
"How do you know?" Ron looked at her superiorly.
"Because they would have told me."
"What if I threatened them not to tell you?"
Ginny snorted. "Michael may have bought that but Dean isn't afraid of you. He could easily defend himself against you."
Ron recoiled a bit and muttered to himself. Harry rolled his eyes at Ron at the same time as Hermione.
"Come on, lets get our coats and leave."
Ron stayed where he was as the others stood. Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him off the chair. He resisted but eventually followed. They got their winter robes on and stood around the fireplace. Mrs.Weasley came in to say good bye and one by one, they took some floo powder and entered the fireplace.
Once they were all out, they headed to the Three Broomsticks for a quick butterbeer. Each couple paired up to buy presents for the other two. Hermione and Ron walked to Honeydukes to get some candy. They wandered the shelves of sweets and picked out bagfuls to divide up between everyone. Then they went to a couple other shops to buy gifts and finally went back to the Three Broomsticks to wait for Ginny and Harry.
Harry and Ginny finished their shopping for the other two and headed back to meet them. Ginny noticed an empty corner by the wall and pulled Harry into it. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned against him.
"I've been with you all day and I can't even touch you," she whispered.
"Yeah, it's rather annoying."
He looked into her eyes and bent to kiss her forehead. She held his face and pulled his lips to hers for one long kiss. After one more hug, they left the corner and met up with Ron and Hermione. The girls left in one direction and the boys went the opposite.
"What are you getting Harry for Christmas?" Hermione asked Ginny.
"Oh I've already made his gift."
"You have? What is it?" Hermione looked at her surprised.
"I made him a beautiful black jumper. Mum taught me how to make clothes this summer so I decided to make his gift," Ginny told her proudly.
"Wow Gin, that's wonderful! You'll have to show me when we get home. It sounds lovely."
Ginny beamed at her then asked, "So what are you getting Ron?"
"I want to buy him a watch. I've never seen him with one so I thought he might like to know the time on his own. There's a place up ahead that sells watches."
"Actually Ron's said before that he'd like a watch but Mum and Dad can't afford it."
They entered the shop and a clerk greeted them. He was a short little man with silvery hair and a bright, white smile. He wore sky blue robes with matching shoes.
"Hello lovely ladies! Welcome to our shop! What can I do for you?" he asked, excitedly.
They walked to the counter and Hermione smiled back at him. "Hi, I'm looking for a nice watch for my boyfriend."
"Oh yes, I have loads of watches suitable for a boyfriend!" He exclaimed. He disappeared for a moment and the girls peeked over the counter to see where he went and found that he had only stepped off his stool. Without it, he was only up to Hermione's elbows. Ginny giggled and covered her mouth quickly as he came back up carrying a medium-sized, black case. He opened it to show rows and rows of beautiful gold and silver watches. Hermione gasped and he grinned widely at her.
"Wonderful, aren't they?" She nodded and he pulled out several for her to hold. After twenty minutes of searching, she finally picked out a gold one with a wide band and artistically written numbers. He wrapped it up for her and told her the price. Ginny gasped.
"Hermione that's really expensive!" Hermione just shook her head and handed the clerk the money. He eagerly took it and happily presented her with the new watch. She took it and thanked him profusely.
"It was nothing my dear! Please come again if you ever want another!"
They said good bye and left the shop. Ginny looked at Hermione strangely and Hermione tutted at her.
"What are you staring at?"
"Well Hermione, Ron would've been happy with a watch half that price. You really didn't need to get one like that. I'm sure he won't spend near that much on you."
"Ginny I don't care how much it costs or how much he spends on me. I wanted to get it for him because I love him, not because I expect something nice in return. I could care less what I get. Do you care what Harry gets you?"
"No! I was just surprised, that's all. Besides, Harry asking me to be his girlfriend was a big enough gift to last me the rest of my life." Ginny thought of him and smiled. Hermione grinned at her.
"So how was it earlier? Must have been hard not being able to hold his hand or anything."
"Yeah it was but we found a place to be alone for a few minutes."
"When do you think you're going to tell people?"
"I don't know. Especially after what Ron said earlier. Harry and I were so obvious but Ron didn't seem to notice. He was too busy being tough, " she said, rolling her eyes. Hermione laughed and they went to a few other shops and finally walked back into the Three Brommsticks for another butterbeer.
Harry and Ron headed off to a jewelry shop to find a gift for Hermione. They found one and entered it. Ron walked straight to the rings and Harry looked at him curiously.
"What are you doing? You aren't proposing are you?"
"Don't be stupid Harry. I'm only sixteen."
"Then why are you getting her a ring?"
"Because my Mum told me one time that when my Dad and her said they loved each other, my dad bought her a ring for her to wear saying she was his. It wasn't an engagement ring. Mum said she loved it loads and still has it. I think Hermione would like one."
Harry nodded in agreement and they browsed the counters. Harry wondered what to get Ginny and finally found something he liked. He decided to come back later when Ron went to see the twins to buy it.
"Wow Harry, look at this one!" Ron pointed to a gold ring that looked like a wreath of small flowers. He asked the attendent to take it out and Ron looked at it from every angle. He grinned.
"This is the one!" The attendent smiled at him and took it.
"Would you like anything engraved on the inside?"
Ron looked at Harry questioningly and he shrugged. Ron searched his mind and finally thought of something simple but meaningful.
"To my Hermione, Love Ron," he stated proudly. She had him write it down then said, "I'm guessing this is for a girlfriend." He confirmed and she led him to a nearby case of little boxes.
"How would you like to put it in a promise box? When you love someone and think you're going to spend the rest of your life with them, you can give one of these. You can have something written on it also." He looked at them and saw how pretty they were. He picked out the nicest one and had "I Love You Hermione-Ron" written on the top. The attendent told him the price and he pulled out a handful of money without hesitation. Harry's eyes widened in surprise.
"Where did you get all that?"
"I've been saving up since last Christmas to get her something really nice. I mean I didn't know I would be her boyfriend but I hoped."
The ring was placed in the box and the boys left the store. They went to a few other shops and Ron asked Harry the time.
"It's 12:45."
"Damn, I have to leave. I'll see you later at the Three Brommsricks when I'm done being tortured." Harry wished him luck and turned back to the jewelry store when Ron was out of sight.
Ron walked towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes feeling nervous, wondering what they wanted to talk about. He entered the very crowded store to find children running around everywhere and Fred at the counter wearing a big orange bow tie with Lee Jordan beside him in a giant, bright blue hat.
"Ronnie! Right on time! Go to the back room. George and I will be there soon!" Ron looked around and saw George demonstrating the latest joke to a group of fascinated little boys. He was wearing a chartreuse tie that reached down to his knees. Ron chuckled to himself. He headed to the back room and closed the door, blocking out all the noise. He looked around and saw loads of boxes exploding with pranks and toys. The walls were covered with promotional posters with the twins smiling broadly and waving around their products. There was a fireplace opposite him and he was tempted to use it to escape. He knew it would do no good since his brothers knew where he slept. He saw a table and chairs by the wall and sat in one. Ten minutes later, the twins opened the door and came in smiling happily.
"Ah, customers. We love them dearly." Fred loosened his tie and pulled it over his head. George did the same and sat across from Ron giving him a toothy grin.
"So where's Lee?" Ron asked, hoping if he was there he wouldn't have to chat.
"Out to lunch," George answered. Ron looked down at his hands, disappointed. Fred pulled out a chair between the other two and crossed his arms.
"So Ron, how's it going with Hermione?" Fred asked seriously. Ron looked up at him surprised. He hadn't expected a comment that wasn't full of teasing.
"Um it's fine..."
"Have you had a fight with her yet?" George put his ankle up on his other knee and leaned forward towards Ron.
"Well yeah we've had a couple," Ron answered turning red.
"Good," Fred said satisfied. "A relationship without fights won't last long. It brings a little excitement and gives you a chance to make up," he continued and winked at Ron as George nudged him, waggling his eyebrows. These were the brothers Ron knew.
"Now we don't want you two going too far yet. You better wait until you're out of school for that. I don't think it would be a good idea for any Ron Jr's running around. Or little 'Mione's," George said.
"So we wanted to tell you to take it slow and stay at a comfortable level. Now we know that Hermione is a good girl but the Weasley men can be very persuasive," Fred said, smirking. "Why do you think Mum and Dad had seven of us?" Ron wrinlked his nose in disgust at the thought of his parents. Fred nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it's digusting. We know. So, what did you get Hermione for Christmas?"
"Do I really have to tell you?"
"Yes, unless you want something unpleasant for your gift form us." George smirked at him. "We need to see if you bought something appropriate."
"What would I get that would be innapropriate?" Ron asked.
"Just tell us what you got and we'll tell you if it is or not." Fred raised his eyebrows at Ron, waiting to hear the answer. Ron groaned.
"Fine," he said, pulling out the box and ring. He handed it to Fred who opened it next to George. They looked at the ring and the inscription, their faces devoid of emotion. Ron watched them anxiously waiting to hear their opinion. They continued to look at it then turned to each other as though having a silent conversation. They nodded and Fred closed the box. He handed it back to Ron and he looked at them curiously.
"Well?"
They looked at him and their faces broke into wide smiles.
"Well done, little brother," George answered. "You've got an excellent gift there."
"Really?" Ron looked at them in surprise. "You think so?"
They nodded and he gave a sigh of relief. Fred looked at the clock and stood up.
"Time to reopen the shop. You'd better get back to the others. See you at dinner tonight." George ruffled Ron's hair causing it to stand up and Fred winked at him. Ron smoothed down his hair and left the shop. He headed to the Three Broomsticks with a feeling of relief and peace. He passed a small alley and suddenly felt a hand go over his mouth and eyes. More arms grabbed his waist and pulled him backwards into the alley. He struggled to move and make a sound but he failed.
"No one to save you this time," a cold voice said. He was carried along for a few minutes and finally set down. The hands moved off his mouth and eyes and he was face to face with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Before he could do anything, they began hitting him and there was nothing he could do to get away. His back was against a wall and he couldn't get past them. They punched his face and arms until he was down on the ground. They kicked him a few times and pushed him up against the wall. Malfoy gave him one last smack in the face and grinned down at him, evilly.
"That'll teach you and your friends to mess with me." He turned and the three walked down the alley and out of sight. Ron stayed still, afraid to move. His head hurt horribly and he felt his mouth, nose and many other places bleeding. After lying there a few minutes to build up some strength, he slowly sat up against the wall and hoisted himself up. He walked tentatively out of the alley and headed up the street to the Three Broomsticks. As soon as he entered, people gasped and Hermione turned her head. Her eyes bulged and her mouth fell open. She ran to him with Ginny and Harry close behind.
"Ron what on earth happened!?" Hermione cried. He staggered to a chair and sat down, heavily. She knealt in front of him and Ginny and Harry went on either side of him. Ron coughed and looked down at Hermione. She had tears running down her cheeks and he took her hand.
"I'll be fine Hermione, don't worry," he said, croakily. She stared at him, shocked.
"You'll be fine? Ron you act like you have a paper cut! Look at you! Who did this? Why?" She sobbed and looked at him for an answer.
"Malfoy."
Hermione opened her mouth and anger filled her eyes. Harry stood up and walked out the door. Ginny watched his back then followed him. Hermione grabbed a napkin and handed it to Ron. He put it on his bleeding nose and she put one on a cut on his forehead. Fred and George came in a door by the back and jogged over to Ron and Hermione.
"Madame Rosmerta told us you were here. What happened?" Fred asked.
"Malfoy beat him up!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Malfoy did all that to you?" George raised his eyebrow.
"He had Crabbe and Goyle with him." Ron told them what happened and the twins became angry.
"Stupid git! We'll show him!" Fred pulled out his wand as Harry and Ginny reentered.
"Too late. We took care of him," Harry said, running a hand through his hair.
"What did you do?" Hermione asked.
"Gave him a couple good hexes and stunned him," Ginny answered.
"That doesn't really equal what he did to Ron," Fred said, sarcastically.
"No, but we did turn his hair green and I gave him a lovely makeover with that paint you two invented that stays on for 48 hours," she said, gesturing to the twins. "I had some in my purse. He will also probably have a dreadful backache since he was thrown into the wall when Harry stunned him."
Fred and George smiled at each other at the mention of the paint and patted Harry on the back.
"We'll make something you guys can take back to school to bother Malfoy with. Too bad we won't be able to see it."
"Where were Crabbe and Goyle?" Ron asked. He took another napkin and pressed it to his bloody arm.
"I don't really know," Harry answered. "I wondered that myself. I didn't know where to look for Malfoy but he was walking up the street and I hexed him. Then Ginny came up and gave him the bat-bogey. I eventually stunned him and Crabbe and Goyle never came."
"We should get you home Ron," Hermione said, taking his arm to lift him. "Can you walk alright?" He nodded and pulled himself up with the assistance of Hermione and his brothers.
"You can use my fire in the back," Madame Rosmerta said to them, pointing to the door Fred and George had come through. They walked in the door and each used some floo powder to go back to the Burrow. Mrs.Weasley was knitting in the living room when they came out of the fireplace and smiled when she saw them come in. When Ron stepped out, she leapt to her feet and ran to him.
"Ron what happened to you?" she shrieked. She took his arm and led him to the couch. She took off his winter clothing as he told her what happened. She shook her head sadly and told Ginny to get her water and soap. Ginny brought it to her and Mrs.Weasley lifted his shirt, revealing cuts and scratches everywhere. Hermione, Ginny, and her mother began washing his many injuries and he flinched frequently at the pain.
Harry pulled off his robes and set them down on a chair. He suddenly wondered where Hermione's promise box and ring were and searched through Ron's robes as naturally as he could. Ron noticed him and understood what he was doing. He watched Harry anxiously until he saw Harry's face become relaxed. He nodded at Ron and Ron sighed in relief. Harry took his and Ron's robes to their room and took the box out of the pocket of Ron's robes. He put the box under Ron's pillow and hid his own purchases under his bed. He went back downstairs to see Ron leaning against the couch with his shirt back down and Hermione leaning lightly on his shoulder. Her fingers were laced through his and she looked up at him, her eyes roaming his face. Mrs. Weasley came in with a tray of tea and instructed the others to sit and have a cup.
"Here Ron," Hermione said, handing him his tea.
"Thanks Love," he answered, taking the cup and kissing the top of her head.
"Where did Fred and George go?" Harry asked, noticing their absence.
"Left to close up the shop," Ron told him. Harry nodded and looked at Ginny. She seemed deep in thought and he wished he could read her mind. She set down her cup and walked upstairs, looking at Harry as she went. Harry checked to see if Ron was looking but he was talking to Hermione. Harry stood and followed Ginny. He looked in her room and saw her sitting on the bed. She looked up as he shut the door and smiled at him.
"Hi. Are you okay?" he asked, sitting down next to her. She nodded and he put his arm around her shoulders. She put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his waist.
"Just mad at Malfoy. I can't believe he did that. You guys didn't totally beat him up, you just punched him. Well, you did knock him out but still."
"I know. Too bad he didn't go to Durmstrang like he said his dad wanted him to."
"That would have been nice."
"So did you have fun in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, turning to face her and taking her hands in his. She nodded and leaned to kiss him. He closed his eyes and met her lips. Their lips caressed each other and his arms made their way to her waist. She layed one hand on his shoulder and the other behind his head. She ran her fingers through his hair and he rubbed her back. He led a trail of kisses from her mouth down to her neck and landed below her ear. She sighed happily and tilted her head. He made his way back to her lips and they snogged each other deeply. Eventually they parted and left the room. At the bottom of the stairs, Fred's voice called out to them from a chair nearby.
"Look up you two."
They looked up to see a piece of mistletoe hanging above them on the ceiling. Ginny laughed nervously and Harry blushed. Fred winked and turned around to George.
"It's a tradition," George reminded them. They looked at each other and Harry leaned down to her face. He saw the twins watching them out of the corner of his eye and touched his lips to hers. They lingered for a moment and then pulled away. The twins seemed satisfied and stopped looking at them. Harry rolled his eyes at Ginny and she giggled. They went to the living room to see where Ron and Hermione were and found them asleep on the couch. They were positioned similar to the way they were in the common room the time before. Ginny sat down to start her homework and Harry read a Quidditch book.
After their victims left, Fred and George stood to take down the mistletoe.
"Wouldn't want Harry and Hermione to land under it by accident," George chuckled.
"Yep it'd mess up everything," Fred agreed.
Author's Note: Sort of cliffy but not really. So, how was it? Good, bad, in between? I wanted something different to happen and make the story less happy-go-lucky, lovey-dovey even though it went back to that when they got home. Oh well. How'd I do? Tell me what you thought, even if you hated it. Some unanswered questions this chapter. What'd Harry buy Ginny? What are Fred and George up to? Find out when I update tomorrow (Sunday). I promise I will! I finally figured out all the gifts between the four. I don't have every single gift that will be given to everyone but the ones you guys'll be interested in will be mentioned. Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas! The promise box idea came form HermioneClone, the sweater idea came form GinnyPotter (even though it was suggested for Ron), and Puppydog_eyes gave the idea for the watch. Thanks to all of you!
Individuals:
Miss Metallic: Thank you! That's very flattering!
hP fAn Fo LyFe: Thanks, I'll try!
'Mione Weasley: Hi! It's going well! Glad you liked the last chapter! Hope you liked this one too! I agree, school sucks!
Kagome19: Thank you! Some people have complained about the cliffhangers so I decided to tone it down. I can't do it everytime, you'd all hate me! I try to update quickly because it bothers me when authors don't update for really long periods of time. Sometimes, however, things happen and I don't update when I wanted to. Unless you have an idea for someone other than Ginny to Harry, Harry to Ginny, Ron to Hermione, and Hermione to Ron, don't wory about e-mailing me. I've got it figured out. Thanks though!
HermioneClone: Thanks! You're welcome about the cliffhangers. I didn't want my reviewers mad at me so I stopped.
ron'sbabygur1: Thank you! I know, checkmated is really slow. I sort of want to tell people who read my story there that more is on ff.net but then I wouldn't get any reviews there. Maybe that'd be better. My beta doesn't always update my chapters when I send them in. Chapter 12 is still in the queue after I put it in on Wednesday! I hoped to have the chapters get matched up soon on both sites but it's difficult when my beta won't put them up! That's why I like ff.net because the chapters get put up within a few hours because you don't have to wait for a beta to read it first. Anyway, glad you read the rest and that you like it!
Ginny Potter: Thanks, glad you liked it!
Lily106: I know! I bet he will have nightmares in the future books about Sirius and the events at the Ministry. It's going to be really sad. : (
DanceChic0869: Yeah it was pretty sad and cute. Fluffiness...I love it!
Cinderella: Lol, thanks! That's so nice of you! I'm going to make as many chapters as possible!
Manga-lunatic: Thank you, I will!
Sweetale777: Thank you! I will keep writing, it's so...fullfilling, I guess is the word. I'll update the next chapter tomorrow so look for it!
Me221: Yep I did! Hope you liked it! Sorry if you didn't!
PiNkRiBbOn13dancegirl: Yeah I think the picture idea is in another fic. I hope my ideas are good!
KrisKG: Don't worry about it! We all have stuff going on in our lives. Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you liked this one too!
Puppydog_eyes: Oh, thanks. I was just curious. Yes, fluff! Yay!
Joots: Thank you! And thanks for telling me it was dramatic irony!