Chapter Nineteen: Consequences

As they entered the Great Hall, Harry was fully aware of the whispers and glances they were receiving from the members of their house. Several girls from other houses were also whispering and pointing. The Hogwarts gossip mill was obviously active this morning.

Harry took Ginny's hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back and they moved towards where Hermione and Ron were seated.

"Good morning," Hermione grinned. "I see that you two... slept well?"

"Yes," Harry flushed, sitting down next to Ginny.

"And, no... crimps in your neck, Harry?" Hermione teased.

He silenced her with a look, but her eyes continued to dance.

At that moment, the owls arrived with the morning post. Harry looked up to see Hedwig soaring through the hall, approaching him. She gracefully landed while Pig did a rather spectacular dive into a platter of sausages.

"Bloody owl," Ron grumbled.

"Is that what that thing is, Weasley?" A snide voice came from behind them.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Ron grumbled further, grabbing the twittering owl and untying the letter from it's leg.

"It rather reminds me of a mouse... with wings..." Malfoy said, his grinning sidekicks rumbling with laughter.

"He said sod off, Malfoy," Ginny said through gritted teeth.

"So, the Weaselette speaks," Malfoy said with a sneer. "I hear you got it on with Potter last night, Weaselette. At least he won't die a virgin."

At this, the only thing that saved Malfoy an extended stay in the Hospital Wing was the fact that Seamus and Dean were fast enough to grab Harry and Ron before they could reach the smirking Slytherin.

Hermione, however, wasn't going to see him go unpunished.

"Infestatium Netherius," she muttered, her wand pointing at Malfoy. "Go away, ferret boy."

The look on Malfoy's face was priceless. At first, it looked as though he was going to respond. But then, he began to look rather uncomfortable, and began to squirm about a bit. By the time the panic showed on his face, he was already turning and heading for the doors. The Gryffindors watching him go, fascinated.

"Umm... Hermione?" Ron turned to her. "What was that spell?"

"Just a little something I picked up in the Restricted section," she said dismissively, sitting back down and continuing with her breakfast.

"Did it..." Harry looked at Hermione, then back to the doors. "Did that spell do what I think it did?"

"Let's just say that if the rumors are true," Hermione picked up her copy of the Daily Prophet. "Then Pansy should probably stay away from him for a week or two."

Dean and Seamus began to howl with laughter. Ron looked at her with a mixture of awe and horror. Hermione was definitely not a witch to mess with.

"Hermione... you're Head Girl..." Ron sputtered.

Hermione looked at him levelly. "Do you really think, Ron, that Malfoy is going to go to Madam Pomfrey with something like that?"

"I don't understand it," Ron said, sitting back down. "You can do something like that, without having even practiced it, and you can't do a simple concealment charm? I just don't get it."

Ron didn't get a lot of things. And one thing he was apparently missing was the look he had just received from Hermione, who lowered her paper and was staring daggers at him as he shovelled egg into his mouth.

Harry swallowed and quickly got very interested in what was on his plate. Subconsciously, he edged along the bench, inching away from Ron. He didn't want to be involved in this one.

"What did you say?" she asked in a deadly quiet voice.

Ron looked up at her, and gulped. "The... the spell that Harry and Tonks were showing us... I..."

"Just because I can't do some silly concealment charm on the first try, Ronald Weasley..."

"Mione..."

"Don't you 'Mione' me!" she hissed.

Dean and Seamus, seeing where this was going, quietly moved away down the table.

"I was just..." Ron flushed further. "You're right, it's just a silly concealment charm... but if you want me to help you with it..."

"Help me with it?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Just because you managed to do something before I did for once..."

Ron reddened, but Harry could tell that now, it was from anger.

"Well, if you weren't always so bloody good at everything, maybe occasionally someone else might get a chance to do something first!" he said, his voice getting louder, as it did when Ron was angry.

Harry glanced between them, unsure whether he should get involved or not, but really, really not wanting to.

"I mean, bloody hell, Mione... you don't always have to be the best, you know. Occasionally, it might be nice if someone else got to do something the best..."

"If you'd work harder..."

"Harder, nothing! You're so damned intimidating sometimes, no one would dare succeed before you..."

And Harry, knowing where this was going because they'd gone there a thousand times over the last six and a half years, interrupted with the news that Hedwig had brought him.

"If you two could stop for a minute, this is from Dumbledore," Harry waved the parchment between them. "Meeting tonight, in his office. Seven o'clock."

Ron and Hermione both turned to look at him as Harry stood, pulling Ginny after him. "Look, kiss and make up, and let the others know when you see them, okay?"

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked as he pulled her towards the doors.

"It's Sunday, we don't have classes, and I really, really don't want to hang around and listen to them moan at each other all day. Come with me?"

"Where?" she asked, following him.

"I've got a couple of ideas," he laughed, tugging her along as he ran.

Hermione glared across the table at Ron, shoved her paper and a book she had been reading into her bag and stood, angrily stomping off towards the doors. Ron sighed, stood, and followed her.

"Hermione!" He called upon reaching the Entrance Hall, looking up the huge stone staircase that the brown-haired witch was now half-way up, and showing no sign of slowing. She didn't pause, she didn't turn. She simply kept going. Ron sighed again, and sprinted after her.

Catching up with her, he reached out to take her arm, but pulled back at the searing glance she threw at him. Swallowing, he sighed again, following her silently. She seemed to be heading nowhere in particular, until he saw they were headed down the corridor that held the entrance to the private Head's lounge.

Angrily, she muttered the password and silently, he followed her in, knowing what was coming, and trying not to flinch.

Flinching only made it worse, Ron knew. He had learned a few things being Molly Weasley's son.

Surprisingly, Hermione stomped over to the windows, throwing her bag on the sofa as she passed, not saying a word. She stood, her back to him, her arms crossed in front of her. Her hair was almost crackling with the energy she was putting out.

Ron sighed again.

"Hermione..."

"How could you?" she asked quietly. "How could you, Ron? I'm not like that..."

"You're bloody intimidating at times, Mione..."

"I'm not!"

"You are," he said. "You don't even realize it. I'm pretty competitive, you couldn't grow up in my house and not be, but you..."

"I like to see you succeed, Ron. I like to see Harry succeed, and Ginny, and Seamus, and... and.. Lavender..."

"I know, but you have to admit, every time one of us does anything before you manage it, you make some comment about how we could do it better, or..."

"I'm just trying..."

"I know why you do it, Hermione. It doesn't make it..."

"Ron..."

There was a hitch in her voice. She still had her back to him, but he was startled when he realized that her shoulders were shaking.

"Mione?" he moved up behind her, his hands reaching out to cup her shoulders.

"You have no idea of how hard it is..." she said softly. Her voice was strange, and he realized she was crying.

"What?"

"You're a pureblood, Ron Weasley. Everyone expects you to do well. I have to work for it, and it bloody pisses me off when I see you and Harry buggering off to the Quidditch Pitch when you should be studying, then complaining when you get an average grade. I make good grades... but do you know how hard I work for them? Do you?"

Ron turned her around towards him, and was shocked to see the look on her face. She looked... defeated. Tears streaked her cheeks, and her eyes were red.

Hermione didn't cry pretty.

Ron sighed again and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her.

"We all do hard things, Hermione," he said softly. "For you, it's studying to get the best grades, to prove yourself here. I admit, I would be able to function in this world no matter how badly I do at school, and I guess I never thought about what it would be like for you. But we all do hard things..."

"Like what, Ron?" she choked. "Everything comes easy to you. You're popular, you don't have people calling you mudblood every time you turn around, you and Harry..."

"Me and Harry, right," Ron snorted. "Everything I have is due to someone else, Hermione. Even being... well... not having a problem having friends. Do you think I'd be like that if it weren't for Harry?"

"Yes," she nodded against his chest. "Because you're you. You talk about how hard your life is, Ron, but there are worse things than being... being..."

"Poor," he said.

"Yes," she said.

"Think I don't know that?"

"Of course... but sometimes you're just so... things come easily to you," she finished softly.

"Do they?" Ron laughed. "Like you?"

"Me?"

"You," he confirmed. "You came so easy, Hermione. All I had to do was wait six years, driving myself insane with jealousy any time you even looked at another bloke. Then I had to get over that pesky self-confidence thing, but only after I lived for weeks thinking that you and Harry were..."

Hermione smiled.

"Well, you didn't come easy," Ron said. "But you were worth it. I don't like fighting with you, Mione. I say stupid things sometimes, but you..."

"I what?"

"You have some issues yourself, you know, and I know I'm not the most sensitive bloke, and I'm sorry if I hurt you, but..."

"But you tend to blurt out the truth of things without thinking of the effect," she said.

"Exactly," he nodded his agreement. "But you know that. You know that that is me. I don't mean to hurt you, but if this is something you can't deal with... my occasional foot-in-mouth..."

"I can live with it, Ron," she looked up at him, her eyes still red, but the tears had stopped. "So long as you can live with my little foibles."

"Foibles?" Ron quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Foibles," she blushed. "'A minor weakness or failing of character..."

"Please tell me you're not quoting the dictionary at me..." Ron teased.

"It's the only way you'll learn," she smiled. "You never read..."

"I am not going to apologise for not reading the dictionary, Hermione."

"But if you were to carry one with you..."

"Like you do? You carry a bloody library in that bag! It's a good thing that Flitwick taught us that shrinking charm..."

"Professor Flitwick, Ron! You're head boy, you know!"

"I know, Hermione. Trust me, I know..."

They suddenly stopped, looked at each other, and grinned. Ron took her hand and led her to the sofa, pulling her down beside him and wrapping his arms around her.

"Do you remember..." she began.

"Remember what?"

"Remember the day that..."

"I'll never forget it," he grinned, thinking back to the train ride and the rather uncomfortable conversation they'd had in the corridor.

"You have to learn to control yourself, Ron," Hermione hissed at him. "You're head boy..."

"That bloody Creevey needs to smarten up!" Ron shot back at her, trying to keep his balance as the train went around a curve in the track.

"Dennis is a nice young man, who..."

"He's a bloody wanker! He actually asked if he was allowed to take points!"

"He's a new prefect, Ron! He has questions," Hermione shook her head.

"Doesn't mean he has to waste my time with them," Ron muttered.

"That's a job for..."

Ron was distracted for a moment as Hermione's pace widened the distance between them and he caught sight of her rounded backside in her muggle jeans. He stopped dead.

"Ron?" Hermione had realized he wasn't behind her and turned back, seeing him standing there, a bright flush on his cheeks.

"Do you know why it bothered me so much?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You and Harry," Ron said softly, avoiding her eyes.

"Because you thought it would..." she swallowed. "because you thought it would hurt our friendship?"

"No," he denied, shaking his head. He took a deep breath and looked up at her. "Because I thought I'd lost you. Lost any chance..."

"Ron?" She took a few steps closer, looking up at him. "Chance of what?"

"Chance of being with you," his cheeks flushed bright red, but he didn't lose eye contact. "I thought I'd never..."

"Oh, Ron..." Hermione's eyes softened, and she reached up, one hand cupping his flaming cheek.

And then she shocked him stiff. Hermione Granger, in the middle of the Hogwarts Express, took one step closer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him until he gasped for breath.

Smiling, Ron looked down at her. "I'll never forget it."

"Neither will I," she said softly, leaning back to look up at him.

And Ron simply had to kiss her again.

Harry and Ginny ended up spending the morning flying, and roaming about the castle. Then to the kitchens and to grab fruit and cheese for their lunch as they walked around the lake. And late in the afternoon, just before dinner they found themselves back at Gryffindor Tower. They stood at the bottom of the stairs to the girls dorms, Ginny leaning back against the stone wall in the alcove between stair entrances, and Harry gently touching her cheek as he gazed down at her.

"Thanks," he said.

"For what?" she smiled up at him.

"For today. It was great to just... be with you."

"Same goes, Mister Potter," she looked up at him, a glint in her eye. "So, are you going to kiss me before I go up and get changed for dinner, or not?"

"Do we have time?" he laughed.

"For a kiss?" she said. "Certainly."

"The way you kiss, Gin, this could take hours," Harry muttered, lowering his head to hers.

"Then I guess we'll have to miss dinner, hmm?" she smiled against his lips.

They had been standing there, together, only a few moments when someone cleared their throat.

"Umm... if you two are quite finished..." Ron said.

"Bugger off, Ron," Harry said, not bothering to turn.

"I can see you're not, then... Hermione and I'll meet you downstairs, shall we?"

Straightening, Harry looked over his shoulder at his friend. "Did you two kiss and make up, then?"

"Umm..." Ron flushed. "Rather. See you downstairs."

"Hmmm," Ginny watched her brother go with speculative eyes. "That was strange."

"That was Ron," Harry grinned. "Five minutes?"

"Right here," she nodded, then turned and flew up the stairs.

Throughout dinner, Ron and Hermione were acting very oddly. They would glance at each other and color, and whenever their eyes met, they both would turn quickly back to their plates. Their hands would meet while reaching for something, and they'd both pull back quickly, as though they'd been burned.

Harry was suspicious. They'd never acted that way before. Perhaps they hadn't made up. Perhaps they had...

...broken up?

But no, they weren't angry. It was odd.

Luna had joined them at the Gryffindor table, and as they stood to leave after the meal, Harry noticed her hand slip into Neville's. Looking up, he caught Neville's eye, and the other boy flushed, but smiled.

"Way to go, mate," Ron muttered at him as they walked out through the doors. Neville's cheeks burned brighter. Ron, despite his and Hermione's odd behavior earlier, reached out and snagged her hand with his, pulling her close enough to hold, his arm around her as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Hermione flushed, but it was obvious that she was pleased.

Ginny moved to Harry's side and she smiled up at him happily. Harry felt a lump in his throat and pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Her head barely came to his shoulder, and he felt a sudden fierce protectiveness towards her.

Hermione stopped dead in the middle of the corridor. "Did you feel that?"

Ron glanced down at her, an odd look in his eyes. "Yeah... that was weird."

"A disruption to the school's magic...?" Luna said. "Odd."

Harry glanced around. He hadn't felt anything, but Ginny was staring at him strangely.

"What?"

"Nothing," she shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Gin?" He looked at her, worried.

"Harry, it's fine," she whispered, standing on tiptoes to reach him, and kissing his cheek. "Relax."

"Come on," Harry said. "Let's get to the meeting."

The other members of the Order were assembled in a large room which opened off of Dumbledore's offices. Remus and Tonks were waiting hand in hand for them outside the statue that protected the entrance to the headmaster's rooms, and they entered together.

"Ah," Dumbledore looked up through his half-moon glasses from the far end of the long table. "Here you are. Come, all of you, sit down."

"Are we late?" Ginny asked.

"No, my dear. The rest of us are early," Dumbledore said. "Now, first order of business is the attack yesterday on Hogsmeade..."

Harry started. That was only yesterday? So much had happened... he turned to look at Ginny, then after catching her small smile, turned back to the rest of the Order, only to find himself the recipient of two very angry, suspicious stares.

Bill and Charlie Weasley. Great.

Harry sighed. This was going to be a very long night.

The meeting lasted for hours, and culminated in Dumbledore again addressing the issue of trust within the Order.

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry said quietly. "We've been over this. In private. I had hoped to keep it that way."

"Harry..."

"Professor, I have told you, there are those in the Order I would trust with my life, and those I... don't feel that comfortable with at this point. I would imagine there are those who I will never be able to fully trust..."

"Then it is, Mr Potter, perhaps a good thing that you are not the head of the Order," Snape said in his normal snide voice.

"For some, yes, I'm sure it is, professor," Harry replied quietly, his gaze never dropping from Snape's.

"And perhaps we shall never get beyond some things," Snape's eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps not," Harry agreed. "But whatever has been between us, Professor, in past, I will not carry into the future. I wasn't necessarily talking about you, you know."

Snape's face registered surprise, as did several others around the table. Harry turned back to Dumbledore.

"It's enough for me, right now, that you trust every one here, Professor. Can't we leave it at that?"

"I would have hoped so, Harry," Dumbledore nodded. "But I have been plagued since our last meeting with thoughts of what would happen to this group if anything were to happen to me. I am fully aware that some sit here only through my influence, and your... regard... for me. Should that change..."

Harry was silent.

"I know you all consider me the leader of the Order, but I cannot impress upon you how very important it is, should anything happen to me, that you follow Harry. It is imperative that you know that he is... important... imperative to what we are trying to accomplish, whether he chooses to share with you the reasons or not."

Harry sighed and looked down at the table. He really didn't want things going this way.

After the meeting, Harry tried to make a quick exit, not really wishing to discuss anything with anyone, much less be grilled by Order members on Dumbledore's reasons for saying what he had said. He gripped Ginny's hand and made for the door, only to be waylaid by several Order members on their way. Who knew that Elphias Doge was so long-winded?

By the time they reached the door, many of the others had already left, and Harry looked up to find their way blocked by two large, broad bodies.

"Bill, Charlie," Harry nodded.

"Harry," they said in unison.

"Ginny, go with Ron and Hermione... we need to talk to Harry about something," Bill said, not bothering to lose eye contact with Harry to look at his sister.

"Bill..." Ginny stood her ground.

"It's okay, Gin," Harry gently pushed her toward the door. "I'll be along in a bit."

"Harry..." she looked doubtfully at him, then back to her brothers.

"Ginny, go. I'll meet you in the Common Room later."

She was hesitant to leave him, but finally turned to the eldest Weasley siblings and glared at them. "Don't do anything I'd hate you for."

Bill gulped, but his gaze didn't leave Harry. Charlie didn't move.

"I'll be along in a bit, Ginny."

When she had gone, and the room was all but empty, the two Weasley men stepped around Harry and, each with a hand on a shoulder, guided him none too gently back to the table.

"Now, mate..." Charlie said, not-so-gently pushing him down into a chair and sitting down next to him, turning the chair to face him directly. "We need to have a little talk."

"Oh?"

"Oh, yes," Bill leaned against the table, his narrowed eyes taking in Harry.

"We were seventeen once, Harry," Charlie continued. "We remember everything we got up to. It really wasn't that long ago, when you think about it."

"And?" Harry glanced between the two.

"And we remember what the main aim tended to be in our dealings with girls, Harry. Charlie here," Bill indicated his younger brother with a grin and a nod, "Was exceptionally... successful."

Harry stayed silent.

"But even I," Charlie said. "Wasn't stupid enough to try getting it on with a girl with six older brothers."

"Guys..."

"No, no, no, Harry..." Bill placed a firm hand on his shoulder, pushing him back as he attempted to stand. "This is just a friendly warning."

"Ginny is important to us," Charlie said. "Probably more important than anything else. And if you hurt her..."

"...we'll have to hunt you down, and use you for dragon bait," Bill finished for his brother, reminding Harry eerily of Fred and George. "Understand?"

"I would never hurt Ginny," Harry said firmly. "Because if I hurt Ginny, nothing any of you could do to me would compare with what I would be doing to myself."

Bill and Charlie glanced at each other, then back to him with narrowed eyes.

"Guys," Harry looked up at them. "She's beautiful, talented, funny, and there is no way in a million years I could every find anyone else like her... to compare with her. Do you think I'm stupid enough to stuff that up?"

Another glance. And nods.

"Yes," they both replied. "Without a doubt."

"I'm not going to hurt her, I promise," Harry said, attempting to stand again, and this time succeeding.

"Watch yourself around her, Harry," Charlie said. "She's our little sister, and one hint of tears..."

Harry shook his head and smiled. "You don't get it, do you?"

Bill placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him directly in the eye. "Maybe not, Harry. But understand that we will do anything to keep her from being hurt."

"I understand, Bill. So would I."

"Fair enough," Bill nodded. "And if we hear of any funny business..."

"Hear of it?" Harry grinned. It was probably a very stupid move, but Harry was reasonably sure that they weren't going to beat the stuffing out of him with Molly and Arthur standing talking to Dumbledore in the far corner.

"He's got a pair, Charlie," Bill said, his eyes narrowing on the younger wizard.

"That he definitely does," Charlie agreed. "The question is, does he know what's good for him, or not?"

Hello all, I'm posting this without the review responses, because I want to get it up so you can read it. All review responses will be at the end of the next chapter.

Thanks!

CQ