A/N: I realized the last chapter was a bit too short so I updated it slightly. I also realize this story is getting quite OOC and I'm sorry. I hope you still like it, though. Thank you so much for the comments to those who reviewed! Keep up the good work! )

The world, the characters, in short, everything I write about, belongs to Jo Rowling. Always has, always will. And I love her nonetheless!

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The next morning a slamming door and loud voices woke Ginny. She barely opened her eyes, squinting against the light, and her gaze fell on a tall, red haired boy about her own age.

"Ron?" she said groggily, trying to comprehend what he was doing there. "What is wrong? What time is it?"

"It is ten o' clock and I want to know what you have done to my best friend!"

Ginny blinked, still too tired to comprehend what was going on.

"Your best friend? Ron what are you talking about?"

"I am talking about Harry," Ron all but screamed. "He came home around eight last night, cast one glance at Hermione and me and then locked himself into his room. I haven't seen him since! I know he was here earlier so I need to know what you have done to him!"

Ginny sat up in bed and yawned. "Ron I... don't know?"

"Not good enough," growled Ron and was about to start another tirade when Ginny noticed someone else with him.

"Maybe we should give Ginny time to wake up and get dressed before we ask her any more questions." It was Hermione, and she was resting her hand on Ron's arm, obviously as a signal for him to calm down.

"Yes please," said Ginny, still not able to understand what exactly was happening. "I will meet you downstairs in ten minutes. Is mum making breakfast?"

"Yeah," Ron said, still not very happy about having to wait. "The twins are here as well. Said they needed to see dad about something."

"Brilliant," Ginny muttered as she swung her feet across the side of the bed. The last thing she needed was to be interrogated by Ron in front of her parents and brothers. They had a hard enough time believing the two of them were just friends as it was.

When Ginny came into the kitchen a few minutes later, however, not only her parents, Ron, Hermione and the twins were there, but apparently the entire extended Weasley family had decided it was a good day for a family breakfast. And as gloomy the prospect of explaining everything to Ron and the twins was, it was not made better by the entire family being there.

"Well if it isn't little Ginner Pinner," Bill said jovially when she came in. He was seated with his first-born son, Bill junior, or baby Bill as he was more affectionately called, on his knee, his wife Fleur by his side. Next to him was Charlie and his girlfriend Laura, then Percy and Penelope, Percy's fiancée, and then the twins, Ron and Hermione. And at the end of the table was Mr. Weasley, with Mrs. Weasley just finishing putting the food on the table.

"Slept well dear?" Mrs. Weasley inquired as Ginny sat down.

"Yeah, sure. The sleep was great, it was the waking up that bothered me." She glared and Ron who merely shrugged. "A man should not have to think about the welfare of his sister when worried about his best friend."

George snorted. "You're hardly a man, little brother."

Fred nodded. "He is right. You are not a man until you have tried to support a pregnant wife through cravings and ravings and other such general fun and survived." He nodded sagely and sighed heavily. "Do that and I will call you a man."

"Problems with the missis little bro?" Bill said from across the kitchen table. Fred merely shrugged. "Nothing I can't get through. It can't last forever."

"Thank god," said Bill and Mr. Weasley in unison, earning themselves a glare each from their wives.

Ginny sniggered, deciding once and for all that when she got pregnant she was going to be as horrible as she possibly could. It was the least they deserved. Men! But then, that issue wasn't actually imminent.

"But let us not talk about Fred," said Bill after apologizing profusely to his wife. "We are here today because Ginny seems to have a problem. Wasn't that so, Ron?"

Ginny froze. And she who had hoped they had forgotten. But then, her brothers never forgot anything that could embarrass her within an inch of her life.

"Yes!" exclaimed Ron. "Ginny, now that you are properly woken up. Tell me please; what have you done to Harry?"

Ginny sighed. "I haven't done anything to him."

"Then why did he come home at such an ungodly hour last night?"

"Eight o' clock can hardly be called ungodly, Ron," Ginny said with a glare. She didn't know what had upset Harry. And she was pretty sure that whatever it was Harry himself had no desire to have his feelings discussed and dissected over breakfast in the Weasley household.

"Not the point," Charlie said from his side of the table. "Harry was here last night was he? And the two of you were alone? Now, I wonder..." He stopped and looked pensive. Ginny rolled her eyes. She could not believe they were going down that path again.

"Listen," she said curtly. "I told you, I have no idea why Harry was upset. Yes he was here, yes we were alone, but it is not like we are bloody sixteen year olds anymore! Besides, if we were doing what you presume, which we weren't, I do have enough faith in myself to say that I do not think he would have left here being upset, nor would he have left when he did." She got to her feet and stared at her brothers. "In fact, I would be so brave as to say that if we had been doing what you insinuate, which again I must stress we weren't, then I don't think he would have left at all! Now would you please leave me and Harry the hell alone and please excuse me while I go break something valuable." She screamed the last few words, threw her napkin that she had been clutching on the table and ran off. She couldn't believe the nerve of them! What would it take for them to leave her alone? She was about to go to her room then changed her mind. Instead she slipped her feet into a pair of nearby sandals then stormed outside. She walked for a few minutes and had cooled down considerably when suddenly she noticed a familiar figure coming towards her. She sighed and stopped. Perfect. Just perfect.

"Morning Gin," Harry said with a half smile as he came within hearing range. She did not return the smile, just nodded curtly and said "morning. I wouldn't go inside just now. The entire clan is there."

Harry looked at her worriedly. "Are you ok? You look a bit..."

"Angry? Offended? Upset?"

He smiled softly. "Yeah. Something like that."

"Bleh." She grimaced. "It's just my brothers. Apparently Ron called them all here to discuss why you came home so early last night. He was worried about you." She rolled her eyes and Harry snorted. "Worried. Right. More like upset because I interrupted him and Hermione in a very... precarious situation."

Ginny laughed despite herself. "I don't want to know. I have walked in on them once, myself, and the mental image will haunt me until the day I die."

They laughed together and Ginny looked at him. "Why did you leave so early? I was worried about you."

Harry shrugged and started to walk towards the house. "I don't really know. I just had a bad evening I guess. Nothing bad. I am much better now. You still interested in finishing the cleaning of your life?"

Ginny smiled and nodded. "Sure. Just help me kill my family first will you?"

"Definitely. I have been perfecting my Avada Kedavra," he replied dryly and Ginny felt her heart go out to him. She took his hand carefully and squeezed it. "Thank you," she muttered.

Meeting the family again was about as bad as Ginny had anticipated. The twins were looking mischievous, an expression that was the same at twenty-four as it had been at fifteen. Bill and Charlie were looking particularly over protective and big brotherly, while Ron merely arched his eyebrows at the two of them when they came inside. Mrs. Weasley on the other hand pretended nothing was out of the ordinary and asked if Harry had eaten and if he was ok and did her regular fussing act. He merely smiled, ignored Ginny's brothers and talked with Mr. Weasley about something they had read about in the Prophet. Ginny, however, was busy glaring at her brothers, daring them to say anything, when Ron spoke up, despite her murderous look.

"Harry, mate," Ron said and got to his feet. "We need to talk."

Harry looked at Ron in surprise, while Ginny bit back a curse.

"Why?" Harry replied casually, meeting his friend's eyes levelly. "Is anything the matter."

"Bloody right it is," answered Fred from the sofa. He, too, got to his feet, George following close behind.

"Come outside with us for a second, Harry?" Charlie asked, but it was more a request than a question.

"Yes, please do. We need to talk," Bill agreed and got up, too.

"Ok," Harry said slowly, eyeing them carefully.

"No you bloody well won't," intervened Ginny. "I told you before to leave him alone." She gave her brothers a murderous look, then turned to Harry. "Harry, come with me. These prats don't know what they are on about, and I love them and don't want them to make such asses of themselves as they are about to do." She snorted, showing just how much she loved them, then grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him back outside to the protests of her brothers.

"You weren't kidding," Harry said nervously as they walked away from the Burrow. "What did I do?"

Ginny shook her head and sighed. "I don't know. For some strange reason Ron got it into his head that something bad must have happened since you came home so early last night."

"But..." Harry tried to say, but Ginny continued. "I know we didn't, stupid, but they don't! And you know how my brothers get. Remember that guy I dated when I was in sixth?"

Harry chortled, then sobered at Ginny's horrified expression. "Sorry, Gin," he said, trying to suppress a grin. "I remember."

"Exactly! And now they think you and I have had a fight or some such rubbish and they are out to revenge me."

Harry shook his head. "But that's insane. We didn't do anything!"

"Well I know that. It's convincing them," she pointed towards the house, "that is the problem."

Harry sighed and stared into the air. "Well, we could... I mean, they think we are dating, right?" Ginny nodded. "And they want to get back at me for whatever it is they think I did." Ginny nodded again, not sure she liked where this was going. "So what if we did something to make them see that I haven't done anything. Well, at least nothing that is worth revenging."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked looking up at him.

"Well, it's not really fool proof, but what harm can it do?"

"A lot of things come to mind. Harry, them thinking you and I are dating is one thing. To actually prove it to them is another. A completely other."

"Oh come on, Gin. It could be fun." She snorted. "More like an early execution."

Harry laughed and winked at her. "I can defend myself. Besides, I'll break up with you after a while. That way your family won't think we are dating and you can prove it."

She shook her head, but couldn't help but laugh with him. "You do realize that Voldemort was nothing compared to my brothers, right?"

7/7/00

Harry has lost his mind. Absolutely and completely. For some reason that I have yet to comprehend he thinks it will be fun to make my family believe that he and I are dating. I tried to warn him about the consequences, but he wasn't listening. Stupid boy! (More like man, but sometimes he is more a boy than a man, and this is definitely one of those times!)

Oh dear God, what am I going to do? I can't have Harry pretend to be my boyfriend! It's just not possible. For one the family will kill him (well, mum will be thrilled), but Bill, Charlie, the twins and Ron... oh I don't even want to think about it. Not to mention the fact that if we are to pull this off then we have to be very... natural. And very... close. And even though I have wanted this since I was ten, this was not how I had planned it. I have a bad feeling about this, there is no denying that. But of course... I can't say no. It is Harry, after all. And even though this is all make-believe he is going to be mine. Well... for a while, anyway.

---

"Harry, tell me again why we are doing this?" Ginny inquired later that day while she was pacing the floor of Harry and Ron's flat. They had sought refuge there while Ron and Hermione was at the Burrow. The idea was to make plans, but so far it had been mainly Harry convincing Ginny that this was the right thing to do.

"We are doing this to scare your brothers and to show them that I haven't done anything wrong. Besides, it's not like we are getting married. We will have a horrendous and very public fight that will eventually lead to us breaking up. That way, if they are still mad at me, at least they have a reason."

"But they won't!" Ginny cried and threw her hands into the air. "Because in theory we have never dated, which means we won't have to break up, which again means that they won't have a reason to be angry! Besides," she sat down on the sofa and looked up at Harry, "if we were dating, who said we would break up at all? Isn't it a little stupid to 'break up' for no reason, when we could have stayed together forever if this was real?"

Harry sat next to her and looked her in the eyes. "Gin, sweetheart, we will stay together forever. And I don't want to hear you say anything else."

Ginny shook her head at him and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. "Whatever you say dear."

"That's the spirit! Now all we have to do is wait for Ron and Hermione to come home, let them find us in a... interesting... position, and the ball will be rolling."

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Ginny said and tilted her head up from where it was resting and looked into his eyes.

"Because you love me, right honey?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I love you." Harry chortled, while Ginny sighed inwardly. If only he knew the honest truth of that statement.