Chapter 4- Boyfriend training

"No, no, no!" Claudia said in her nasally tone. "I can't believe you, Ron," she added, shaking her head. Harry was sitting a bit off from them, laughing at Ron as he started making remarks about Viktor again. "I wouldn't be laughing, Buba, we still have to get to your Dean problems," she said to Harry. He stopped laughing immediately on that note. "Now, one more time… why is it that youhave a problem with Viktor Krum?" They had already been at this for an hour, Claudia asking the question, Ron starting out with incoherent statements, and then turning them into clear reasons (at least in his mind) about why Hermione should not be talking to Viktor.

"I guess… well I… Hermione likes to and… and… how am I supposed to compete with a guy who's three years older and so much more popular?" Ron got back onto his trend. "I mean… he's rich! He's got money to burn and I don't have two Galleons to rub together!"

"It would help if you weren't throwing them at your best friends, Ron," Harry said, still bitter about the black and blue spot on his arm.

"Well if you had just told me instead of—"

"WOAH!" Claudia said loudly stopping the two. "Both of you need to settle down and stop fighting! How am I supposed to get anything done if I can't even talk over you?" Tears welling up in Claudia's eyes, her voice sounded even more like she was talking through her nose when she started to talk again, putting her arms on the table and her head laying in her arms. "I c-can't work l-like this! I-I can't t-try and h-help when the p-people won't help th-themselves!"

Ron and Harry looked at each other, now feeling sorry for the way they were acting. Harry touched Claudia's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "We didn't mean to… I mean, we're sorry that we were acting that way and—"

"Good," Claudia said, snapping up cheerfully. "Now that I know you can apologize properly, let's get moving."

"You mean… you were just testing us?" Ron asked, offended that he had actually felt bad.

"Yes," Claudia said firmly. "I need to know that you two actually have the capability to be sensitive. Now why can't you act that way with Hermione and Ginny?" she asked like a Psychologist asking their patient why they would want to jump off a tall building.

"Er…" Harry stated, still confused by the sudden change in attitude from Claudia. No wonder why we don't understand girls, Harry thought to himself, but decided keeping it to himself might keep them from having anymore of those tests. "We do… don't we?"

Claudia gave Harry a look that read 'how dumb do you think I am' and put down her pink fluffy quill. "Do you remember, Harry, when Ginny was trying to talk to you about her problem with her favorite sweater from her Aunt Genevieve shrinking?"

"Er… no," Harry said admittedly.

"The beginning of this summer, one of her brothers had been asked to do the laundry and had shrunk it. She wrote to you about how angry she was, but your just skimmed past that part," Claudia said. Ron went slightly red, remembering that he had been the brother Claudia referred to. "Right here," Claudia said, flicking her wand and having a transparent copy of Harry's letter in hand. "'Dear Ginny, I hope you're doing well. I've been bored here on Privet Drive. What is Ron doing? I hope you're all having fun. Dudley's been…" the letter continued, complaints of his family and so on, but not one word of Ginny's sweater.

Harry was shocked at first, but put his own perspective on it. "It was just a sweater," Harry said defensively, just before Claudia had finished the letter.

"Oh, that's what you think," Claudia said in a I-know-something tone. "How often have you seen Ginny in something that's not a hand me down, Harry?" Claudia asked.

"I don't have anything new to wear either," Ron pointed out in Harry's defense.

"You got new dress robes, didn't you? And no one went of and ruined those, did they?" Claudia pointed out. Ron's ears turned red and Claudia turned back to Harry. "Besides, for a girl it's important to have new things that you feel you look pretty in."

"But she always looks pretty," Harry said, still frustrated that him not mentioning a dumb sweater was being made out to something so bad.

"Then you need to tell her that," Claudia said. Harry opened his mouth once or twice to argue, but couldn't come up with a rebuttal. "And you," Claudia said, making sure Ron was paying attention. "You need to get over whatever it is you have against Viktor Krum, who we have on good authority is your favorite Quidditch player—"

"Was," Ron interrupted with gritted teeth.

"Then why do you still have his autograph in your diary?"

"It's a journal!" Ron said, blushing red as Harry looked at him inquisitively.

Just as Claudia was about to say something else, Ron and Harry heard someone apparate into the living room. "Hey boys," Arthur said. Both Harry and Ron paled visibly as Arthur mad his way into the kitchen. Claudia, however, just sat there and smiled.

"What's for…" Arthur said, opening the door and seeing the brunette at the kitchen table with his son and his son's friend. "Claudia!" he said with a grin. Harry and Ron looked at each other in confusion as the two adults greeted each other. "What are you doing here?" he asked, grabbing Claudia's hand she was holding out daintily.

"Well, I'm on assignment actually," Claudia said with a smile.

"Really?" Arthur said, looking over at the boys. "Which one?"

"Both actually," Claudia said. "They decided to have me work with both, since they're so close together. It's actually easier this way. They can keep each other in check when I'm done."

"Well," Arthur said, not surprised at the situation, "you know what they say: 'birds of a feather'--"

"Fall together," Claudia finished, both of them having a good chuckle over it right after.

"Do you," Ron asked, still completely lost. "Do you know each other?"

Claudia answered. "Well, yes. Cupid Inc. used to have a service to help those who just needed ideas, so I help arrange Arthur's proposal," Claudia said proudly.

"Really?" Harry said in shock. He hadn't been explained the time lapse deal with Cupid Inc. and so he started to wonder just how old Claudia was.

"How did that turn out?" Claudia asked, catching up with her old client.

"Good, good," Arthur said. "Forty years and counting," he said, showing his wedding band.

Claudia squealed with delight, and lightly clapped her hands together. "Well, I better get back to work," Claudia said, sitting back down and turning her attention to the teenagers in the room.

"Good luck," Arthur said sincerely, and started to make his lunch.

Ron and Harry tried to continue through all the questions running through their minds.

The day was going by quickly, but the girls were quite pleased with how they felt. "That's just what we needed," Ginny said, after their massage, and just as they were entering a sauna. Mrs. Weasley had opted for other such treatments, leaving the girls to have their own fun.

Hermione sat in the steam room, a book she had enchanted to stay dry in her hands. "I agree," Hermione said. "I haven't read this much all summer, honestly. Between you and Harry wanting time to snog and­­--"

"Excuse me," Ginny said indignantly, "we just wanted to be alone, that doesn't mean we were kissing." Hermione looked over at Ginny with a tired look. "Okay, maybe we were a bit, but that still doesn't mean—"

"Whatever you say," Hermione said, not wanting to argue about it. "All I mean is that we can have some peace and quiet, for once, instead of worrying about them getting upset over whatever they keep getting upset about." Hermione turned a page in their book."

"They're upset because they're jealous idiots that don't know what they're talking about," Ginny said.

"I don't know about that," Hermione said. "There could be something more to it. I've been reading this book that—"

"Oh here we go again," Ginny teased, "what have you read this time?"

"Fine if you don't want to hear it," Hermione said, put-out a bit.

"Go ahead," Ginny said. They sat there until their fingers and toes were wrinkled more than raisins, discussing what the underline problem could be.

"Ms. Weasley? Ms. Granger?" one of the attendants called. "It's time for your consolations."

With that, Ginny and Hermione made their way to become their new selves.

A/N: Okay... sorry it's taken me so long to update, but I've been pretty busy here! I'll try to keep up more (now that I have the net at work again) but I make no promises! Please review and get others to do the same!

Thank you:

chatterboxgirl: I love the fact that you put 'ron being the way he is'... because it's so true! LOL I think they're both pretty funny in the situation, and I'm playing it up a bit, but I'm sure most people can see this happening.

Lyny Angell: What good is a story where there isn't some contention at first? There has to be that, but don't worry, this being the little ball of fluff that it is they'll be together by the end. I just don't want to rush it so hang in there!

Space-pirate10: I still need to see if you've got the story up! Sorry I'm kind of spacy sometimes. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too!

Sanityescapesme: I'm sorry it's taken so long! I'll try to keep up with it now! Hope you like this chapter!

milky way bar: I'll try! Thanks for reviewing!

HogwartzboizRHottiez: Yeah, pretty lame of them huh? You'd think they'd be one step ahead, but NOoOoOo!

luckyducky8200: I know the 'Herm-own-ninny' was somewhat random, but at least you felt how Ron felt temporarily. I figured most of ya'll would get it after a moment or so.