(NOTE: I'm almost done- PROMISE!)

By the next morning Harry had resolved to sort everything out. The chance for him to do so came quicker than he could have hoped.

He had just finished getting changed and was about to go down to breakfast, when he heard Dean call out-

"Ron, better be careful with those socks. I've heard they contain Nackledirk Bees!"

Seamus burst into laughter. Turning to Ron, Harry saw him staring determinedly at his socks, as if he they were the most important things in the world.

Well, it was now or never. Harry paused, took a deep breath, and spoke:
"Shut up you two, you're just jealous."

Both Dean and Seamus looked at Harry as if he was joining in with their mocking. Dean even gave a snort of laughter.

"Well I am, at least-" Harry continued, wishing he could sound more genuine.

It seemed to have worked though, Dean's mouth opened in surprise and Seamus looked at him very strangely.

"What?" Ron said sharply, he seemed convinced Harry was making fun of him.

"I asked her out last year? Don't you remember Ron?" He said pointedly, trying to make Ron understand what he was doing, "Turned me down though. Turns out she liked you better, hey Ron?"

"Yeah... I suppose so." Ron said slowly, comprehension dawning on his face- "you really were so hung up on her, weren't you Harry? Didn't you used to write letters to her?" He was now smiling slyly. He was getting revenge. Harry grimaced, but said nothing. He deserved this.

Once more Dean and Seamus burst into sniggers, this time directed at Harry. This was just what Harry wanted, that they'd leave Ron alone.

After Ron went down to breakfast Harry endured several agonising taunts from his classmates, before finally escaping down to the Great Hall, only to be ambushed by Hermione.

"So," she said casually, though her voice seemed slightly strained, "how's things?"

Hermione never asked that. Harry looked up curiously to see her and Ron were sitting across from one another, though still looking oddly formal.

Ron ignored her, and leaned in to speak to Harry-

"Listen. Thanks for that. You didn't need to."

"Yeah I did. Sorry about everything mate."

"S'alright." Ron grinned and started munching happily on his toast, looking greatly relieved.

It was only after Ron left Hermione spoke again. "What does he mean? What did you do? Something about Luna? Are they finished? I thought they might be... she's hardly his type really is she?" Hermione finally exhaled.

It took Harry a moment to process all of her questions, and he thought he should phrase his answer carefully, for Hermione looked slightly manic.

"I told everyone I was jealous of Ron, so they'd leave him alone. He's still seeing her, Hermione."

Hermione didn't reply, but instead just stabbed her toast particularly maliciously with a knife.

"Is he now? Well that's nice." she finally said, outwardly composed.
"It is, isn't it?" Ron had reappeared behind her. Hermione jumped at his entrance and stood up quickly, toast still in her hand.

"Well- must be going, have to write a letter to Viktor." She said loudly, glancing at Ron as she said it.

Ron sat down again.

"Mental, that one." he said, as Hermione disappeared from sight, bashing into tables accidentally as she went, "now, about Quidditch practice later..."

Harry smiled. It was good to have Ron back on his side again.

That evening Harry returned from Quidditch practice covered head to foot in dirt. Exhausted, he collapsed next to Hermione. Ron was yet to return, and Harry mentioned this to Hermione.

"Probably with Luna, right?" She said, angrily crossing out a line from her essay on 'the Importance of Ancient Runes in Modern Society'.

Whilst Harry sat in silence, he gazed around the room. His eyes fixed on the large parchment on the notice board-

"OWL's Celebratory Ball". It was only then that he realised how close the end of term was, and how little time he had left to find a partner.

"Hermione, we'd better get a move on, finding partners and all that- it's nearly Christmas!" Then he remembered how angry she had been before the Yule Ball, when Ron didn't think she had a partner.
"That is unless," he said quickly, "You haven't already got one".

She looked up scowling. "I'm not going. I think it's a pointless waste of time."
"You didn't seem to mind it when Professor McGonagal told us about it-" Harry began, puzzled.

"Well- things change!" Hermione interrupted angrily. At that moment Ron walked through. She gathered her books immediately and went upstairs, avoiding Ron's eyes.

Harry thought about it quietly for a few moments. Hermione was right- no one had to go. This time it wasn't mandatory for him to be present at the ball. Mind you, he was forced to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, Hermione wasn't. It would be irritating to see everyone go off and have fun whilst he was left in the common room with a few first years.

Well he still had a whole week to think about it, right?