Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story. I just borrowed them and manipulated them to act in my fluffy little plot.
A/N: Ok, so basically, Ron says one thing and thinks another. That's what those short little sentences in italics are. (There are one or two of Hermione's thought floating around there though.) So if that was confusing you, now you know what it is all about. How many times have you said something and thought something completely different? If you're anything like me; way too many times to count.
Chapter 10 – Avoidance Is The Key
Ron was lying on his back on his four-poster when there was a soft knock on the door of the dorm.
"Come in." he called out, as he was the only one in the room.
The door opened and Ginny stepped in and shut it behind her, walking over to her brother.
"Holed up in your room huh? You can come downstairs, Hermione's in the library." She said, sitting on the end of his bed.
"Is she? Well no, I had stuff to do up here." He said, waving his hand around dismissively.
"I see." Ginny said, looking around the room, at the clothes tossed into corners, the school books thrown carelessly half under the bed. "You sure have done a lot." She said as she looked at the mess around Ron's bed, which was considerably worse than that of the other beds.
"Alright, so this place is a mess. Give me a break." He said, sighing dejectedly.
"Sorry. So…what's going on with you and Hermione?" she asked, looking at her brother who had thrown an arm over his eyes so that he didn't' have to make eye contact with her. Evidently, she pulled at his arm til he laid it across his stomach.
"No clue. We haven't spoken since…well you know. You were there." He said, staring up at his canopy.
"Hmm." Was all that Ginny said, she was picking at a lose thread on his comforter.
"'Hmm' what? Have you spoken to her?" he asked, a little to concerned that Ginny smirked at him.
"Why, do you care or something?" she asked and Ron fell backwards onto his bed once more.
"No." he said, crossing his arms and frowning.
"Well as fun as this is, I'm going back downstairs." She said standing up. "Going to join me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No."
"Fine." Ginny said then muttered something that sounded very much like 'brothers' at the same moment that Ron muttered 'sisters'.
"I thought you liked me?" Ron said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of his bed.
"I do. When you aren't a prat to Hermione."
"You don't like me much at the moment then do you?"
Ginny raised an eyebrow again then left without saying another word.
***
Hermione sat in the Library at a small table that she had picked out especially. Why had she picked a small table? So that no one could waltz in and sit with her and question her about what she had done to Ron.
She winced painfully at the memory and winced again, realising that it had probably really hurt.
"Stupid stupid." She muttered as she let her head fall into her hands.
"Not stupid per say…just a little silly." Said a voice standing in front of her. She looked up into the green eyes of Harry Potter. She sighed and he pulled up a chair to her small table. Apparently the table wasn't as small as she had originally thought.
"What's on your mind Harry?" she asked, hoping to forget about her own problems for the time being.
"Not much which makes a nice change. Just thinking about why the top student in her year would call herself stupid." He said, looking at Hermione whilst smiling slightly.
"Well you see the top student in her year, although she really doesn't like to give herself that title, did something that she shouldn't have. She…well she struck one of her best friends. Purely on the spur of the moment. She didn't exactly plan it mind you. So at this point in time she isn't feeling too smart." Hermione said, looking up at Harry as she finished her little third person explanation.
"I see. Well I'm sure that if she were to seek out that friend of hers, that he or she, would probably forgive her if she were to tell him or her, the reasons behind the violence." Harry said.
"I wasn't violent!" Hermione said, her voice rising on the last word.
"We were talking about you?" Harry said, feigning surprise. Hermione just smiled sarcastically at him and folded her hands together.
"Look Hermione, why don't you talk to Ron again?" Harry said giving her an encouraging smile.
"Do you really want me to do that, I could punch this time." She said dryly.
"Personally, I don't think you have it in you, but then again, anything is possible." He said shaking his head at her in amazement.
"How is he?" Hermione asked biting her lip.
"Who? Ron? Yeah, he's fine. No lasting damage though I think you may have bruised his ego." He said laughing slightly.
"Hmm…oh no. I've just remembered, I've got that Transfiguration Essay to do!" Hermione said, widening her eyes.
"Really? The one that you finished a week ago? I suppose I'll leave you to it then. I'll see you again when you want to talk." Harry said, standing up and ruffling her hair before leaving the library, the doors banging shut loudly behind him.
Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief although she hated lying to Harry. Or rather, trying to lie. She thought to herself as she recalled his comment about having finished her Essay the week before.
She gathered her things hurriedly and headed back to the Common Room, it suddenly felt very cold and lonely in the Library.
***
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat in the Common Room that night, in different corners of the room, though they were very aware of each other.
Harry sat with Dean and Seamus, working on their Divination homework or to be more accurate, sitting there working on new strategies for the Gryffindor Quidditch team with their Divination textbooks thrown aside.
Ginny was sitting with the girls from her dorm, reading Witch Weekly magazines and pigging out on chocolate, as her room mate Larissa had pointed out.
Ron was sitting by himself at one of the study tables, trying and almost failing to complete his Transfiguration Essay, the one that Hermione had finished the week before.
Hermione herself was curled up on the couch, reading through Hogwarts: A History. Yes, she knew the book from cover to cover but it was a nice feeling to be with something so familiar. She almost wished that Ron would make a comment about it but when she snuck a look in his direction, he was chewing on a Sugar Quill thoughtfully.
She sighed and tugged at a lock of her hair and turned to the section in the book on 'Hogwarts Enchanted Ceiling' she smiled as she traced the well-known words.
Harry looked over at his female friend and sighed. She still hadn't spoken to Ron. It really was amazing how alike the two of them were. Stubborn to the bone. There was no way that either of them would come forward first.
Struck with a sudden idea, Harry tore off a corner of parchment and scrawled quickly across it.
Ginny,
Time to resort to desperate measures. Now, I'm not the most sympathetic person you'll meet (that's probably you) but I can't stand to see my friends' miserable because of each other. I vote we lock them in the Common Room so that they have to talk things out. How about a simple locking charm on the Dorms' and the Portrait Hole? So that we can get out but they can't? What do you say?
Harry.
He signed his name quickly, folded the piece of parchment up and flew it over to Ginny who jumped slightly as it landed in the middle of magazine. She looked around to see who had thrown it and locked eyes with Harry and he nodded and she smiled as she opened it up.
Her eyes scanned the note and her smile grew wider. She rummaged around in her bag and fished out a quill and wrote back.
Harry,
I do believe that's the best idea you've ever had. Though they won't be too happy with us tomorrow. I suppose that's just the price you have to pay for being a good friend. You do the honours. Think I'm sympathetic do you? Which Ginny Weasley are you talking about? Can't say I've ever met her myself.
Ginny.
She flicked her wand and the parchment flew back over to Harry who read it and smiled and this time when he pulled out his wand, he pointed it at Ron and Hermione in turn and whispered the Incantation for his door locking Charm. He'd used it before. When Lavender and Seamus had had an argument and the rest of the Gryffindors had had to deal with it.
"Sorry guys." He said before pocketing his wand and going back to his Quidditch plans.
***
Ginny thought that she'd be in her seventh year before the Common Room would become empty. It was almost one o'clock when I finally did, Harry's dorm mates being the last to leave.
This left Harry, Ron, Hermione and herself in the room. She nodded her head at Harry and he walked over to Hermione.
"I'm turning in now Hermione. I'll see you in the morning ok? Hope you sleep well when you get too." He said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"All…alright Harry. See you in the morning." She said, looking at him curiously. "Actually Harry, are you feeling ok?"
"I feel fine." He said, and grinning he ruffled her hair and walked over to Ron. She just stared after him until she locked eyes with Ron and frowned and looked away quickly.
"How much longer are you gonna be?" Harry asked him, peering over his shoulder at the Essay he was writing.
"Probably all night." He muttered, dropping his quill and running his hands over his face, trying to wake himself up.
"Right. Well I guess I'll see you at breakfast then?" Harry asked his, pushing his glasses up on his nose.
"Sure. Night."
"'Bye." Harry said, climbing the stairs. As he did so he saw Ginny waiting around the corner.
"Hey. Everything's set. They're gonna have to talk to each other whether they want too or not."
"Brilliant! Not just a pretty face are you Potter?" she said, reaching up to pinch his cheek and she pushed and pulled his face to and fro gently and Harry laughed.
"Not in the least. Don't ever call me pretty again." He said menacingly but he was smiling at her.
"Oh but you are. You're the prettiest no sorry, the handsomest boy I've ever met." Ginny said, looking at him sincerely.
"Honest?" he asked, surprised.
"Sure honest." She said before bidding him goodnight and heading round the corner to her dorm.
Harry smiled to himself and stopped to look at his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall before he went to his own dorm.
She thinks I'm prett—handsome. Harry thought as he walked down the hall to his own room.
***
a/n: To those that wanted it, there goes the next chapter.
My reviewers:
MyOwnLittleWorld I must admit, I have been leaving a few people off the review comments! Sorry to everyone about that, I just don't seem to have to the time that I used to, to answer them all. Glad to see you back. Have fun on your trip? You went on a trip right? (I'm so out of it lately. Ergh.) Hope all is well with you. =). I agree, Ron had it coming to him, though it could have been built up better…I am learning from my mistakes. I can't wait to get my next story up. Hopefully it will be evident that I've made some changes in my writing technique.
Yami Boy You're right in every way lol. I'm not afraid to admit that I rush my stories towards the end. I know I do and I've started doing it with chapter nine lol. Still two chapters after that. Not such a good thing to do. I'll get better, I promise! The problem with writing on my own is that my readers pick out things that I've missed, like certain situations that remained un explained. That's a big problem of mine too, I don't plan very extensively and I forget half the stuff I've written =S lol. Thanks again for your reviews. Much loved!
Juxtaposed No no! You didn't offend me. (I can't remember what I replied with for you to think that now) but I remember that you didn't as soon as I read that review. (I don't make a lot of sense in my reviews…) Yeah, he is oblivious. Should do something about that…lol. =D.
Sapphire Teresa. You do? That's cool. ( We shall see if you are right as you think you are, or whether or not I can still surprise people.) I hope you're right, then you can gloat ;- ).
Jamie Bell It's funny isn't it? We can see how special Ron is, even if he has hand me downs and not a lot of money. I gotta say if I had the chance to hang out with Ron, I don't think I'd mind. =D. lol. He does need to realise how special he is…
GryffindorGoddess28 I must admit though, I will try almost any story once, then if it's too icky I'll give it the flick. I'm not too fond of slash but I will read it if it comes recommended. Sometimes I read strange pairings just for fun, to see what else is out there. =) I'm glad you thought this chapter was funny, I love making people laugh/smile whether it's through my writing or verbal.
Vels Don't take it personally that I didn't include you last time! I'm a tad lazy and didn't get around to commenting on what everyone said. Glad you like it and want me to update. I trust you are happier now to read this chappie? Only one more to go! Nice and rushed lol.
Nessie8 "Updates are you friend" well that's a new one lol I suppose you are right though so here's another one for ya! =). I'm back at school on Tuesday. Ergh and I've just remembered some homework that I should have done. Eek! Though the way I see it, this is better to do than h/w! Lol
KayBay2507 I was originally developing the Harry/Ginny thing to take it into a sequel but I decided to squash that I idea though I may come back to it one day, I'm not sure. Time will tell. =).
Well another day, another chapter. Hope it was enjoyed by all. (once again, not betad so expect some mistakes!)
~Nesserz.