"Fine."

The words were utterly bitter, as if the Bloody Baron had been all but bullied into giving in—which, now that Ron thought about it, he was. But it was a positive declaration none the less, one more bright bit of chaos to throw in with the whole Harry, Hermione, and Ginny thing. It had worked. The stupid, bloody plan had worked.

"Yes!" Ron screamed, drawing one more look of horror from Harry. Not that it mattered; nothing mattered except for the fact that the Baron was finally going to take off the awful ropes. And… he tried to pull his living friends to the front of his mind… they were here to witness it. "Yes!"

"My work here is done!" Jamie curtsied. "Now off to my graveyard haunting!" Jamie vanished.

Peeves cackled and performed a series of side flips in the air. "Don't worry, your Bloodiness. No one shall hear of this."

The Baron grumbled something under his breath and shrugged. "So our deal is still on?"

Peeves went stiff and offered a salute. "Yes. You are still the only ghost in this entire damn school that I fear." A grin of nothing but mischief accompanied his final word.

The Baron just sighed.

Ron looked at Percy. His brother looked ready to faint, but a dazed smile had enveloped him.

"Are you serious?" Percy asked. "You're going to take off the bindings?"

It was clear that the Baron did not want to remain in the classroom any longer. "Of course I will. Apparently I have no other choice." A glare at Peeves.

Ron couldn't help another "Yes!"

"Congratulations, I guess," Harry said weakly. He looked more ready to faint than Percy. "Though I still don't think I understand what's going on. But, yeah, congratulations. Both of you."

Hermione nodded in baffled agreement. "Even though you really didn't need us."

Something inside Ron flinched. He turned to Hermione, suddenly realizing how he must look, this strange, horrible ghost… thing. "You… you were moral support!"

Ginny actually laughed, and Hermione gave a small smile, shaking her head. "Moral support. Wow. What a role." She shuddered. "I can't believe I'm saying things like this. To you."

"So little Miss Granger did want to dig up rocks." Peeves launched himself at the remains of Snape's desk and began to make a small house out of the pieces. "I was bored, so I came early. Besides, it didn't look like he was going to talk to any of you in the near future."

"What?" Percy exclaimed.

"But… but you did come and see us," Ginny said enthusiastically. "Even if it was… to use us."

Using them. That is what it basically had been. Oh, well.

Percy laughed, locking eyes with Ron. Yes, Percy had said something about that earlier. "That's what I told Ron. But… it was really, really necessary."

So now Percy was challenging him. He hadn't ever done that before, not like this, not in front of everyone. And of course Percy was the more annoying. "Ginny, you have no idea how necessary this was."

She nodded, the remains of the laugh still on her face. "I think I need to sit down. Ow!" Peeves had thrown a piece of broken desk at her legs.

"I don't care if you used us," Harry said. "Ron…" He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I hate to say this again, but… but this is so weird."

"You have no idea," Ron replied. Even to him it was beginning to seem like a dream. "I'm just afraid that's it's all going to be some horrible illusion."

"And you'll wake up and not be dead." Harry froze, staring at Ron. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Dead. Ron tried to smile. "Thanks for bringing that up."

Ginny picked up the piece of wood and broke it between her hands. "This is stupid. You're both dead, so there isn't much difference than before."

Percy sighed. "Ginny—"

She faced him, wood in both hands. "It's not going to be any different, is it? You can't possibly do anything with us, can you? So what was the point of you showing up if you didn't even need us for this?"

Ron felt a sudden urge to vanish. So… she wasn't happy to see them? He glanced at Percy… couldn't he take care of this? No, why would he expect Percy to do something like that?

But now all eyes were on Percy.

For a long time he didn't say anything. "This is one of the things I had been worried about. Ginny, I'm sorry. But…"

Ron shouldn't have expected an answer.

"… But how come you have to care now that I can't be there?!" It burst from seemingly nowhere, filling the silent room, leaving Percy panting instinctively for breath he didn't have.

Fury. Ron recognized that emotion.

Ginny's gaze lingered shakily for a one or two moments before her eyes filled with tears. With a cry of rage she threw open the door and ran from the room.

But she had just been feeling better… "Ginny!" Ron screamed.

The echoing footsteps became increasingly distant.

Ron turned to Percy, filling his own temper rising. "What did you do that for?"

The answer came quick. "I don't know." Percy sounded very weak.

"You are such…" Ron couldn't think of a word. "You just had to become some horrible haunting… ghost!" The best insult to come automatically. "Harry, do you see this?"

"Ron…"

Everyone really seemed to enjoy saying his name that night.

"Harry, I didn't mean to yell."

Harry gave a laugh and shook his head. "You yell plenty, Ron. I'm… I'm going to go after Ginny."

Great. Now Percy had scared Harry away.

"You'll still… you'll still be around in a few minutes, won't you?" Now Harry was pleading.

It was almost a stupid question. "Yes, I'll still be here. Or I'll come find you."

Harry actually shuddered at that. "Thanks." With one last look back at Ron, he left the room.

Peeves cleared his throat. "I'm going to go find some firecrackers for this desk." He disappeared through the floor.

Percy watched him vanish with mild interest. "Well, that mood was certainly killed."

"Killed," Ron heard himself echo. Without even thinking, he started laughing. It wasn't even funny, but that thought only sent him into hysterics. "You are such an idiot."

He almost smiled.

But Percy had been the one to.. .say that to Ginny. "It's your fault."

"Ron, I don't even know why I said that." He frowned and stared at the door. "Maybe I should go apologize."

That really wasn't something Ron wanted to witness, whatever further disaster Percy would drag in with an apology. "Well, I don't want to go—" He stopped. Duh. "We need to get the bindings removed."

Percy swore. "I forgot. And after all that fuss…" He looked around the room, and swore again.

The Bloody Baron was gone.

"You scared him away, too!" Ron smacked himself on the forehead.

"Unless…" Percy grabbed the rope at his wrist and tugged. Like paper it ripped away.

Ron did the same to his own. It was strange to watch it fall into the air, frayed ends wafting like snakes… away from his arm. But a wave of excitement crashed over him. He was free. For the first time since he had died, he could be away from Percy longer than a grace period. He was free. He couldn't resist one more triumphant "Yes!"

"Well, then," Percy said, stunned. "I guess… I guess this is it."

"And to think all we had to do was that pathetic play."

"Yeah."

The room drifted into awkward silence. There didn't really seem anything else to say.

"I still can't believe you said that to Ginny," Ron said.

Percy sniffed, looking down. "Maybe we should see if this works." He sprang back through the wall, disappearing.

Ron waited for the tug at his wrist, waited for Percy to drag him somewhere against his will. Nothing. Unless, of course, the git was hiding on the other side of the wall…

"Ron?"

Ron screamed; hadn't the room been emptied? He whirled around, half-expecting to see the Bloody Baron changing his mind.

It was Hermione. She hadn't left. Why had he thought she had? She had been so quiet, there in the corner with tears running down her cheeks.

He really hated watching girls cry.

"Hermione," he said softly. "I… I thought you had left."

"Sorry I wasn't more conversational." She tried to force a smile, and failed. "You really, really have no idea what this is like. Seeing you." Her hand flew to her eyes. "Oh, Ron, I couldn't believe it when Harry brought… you back and said what happened. Do you have any idea what everyone's been through, dealing with this? Do you know what it's like to see you back? I know we've all been saying this all afternoon but…"

"I missed you all, too." It was the only thing he could think to say, and sure didn't sound very impressive.

"I was thinking about… about what Ginny said. It's not like your back, is it? It's not the same. And I think that what hurts. Even though… even though that when I saw you today… like this… I don't know why I would have thought any differently." She lifted her head up, locking her pretty eyes with his. "I feel so silly. I don't know what you're going to think of this, Ron, and it's hardly an appropriate time, but there's something I've been regretting for a long time."

Tell her what you think of her, Ron screamed at himself. But all he could do was watch her. "Did you flunk a class because of me?"

She laughed. An actual laugh. "Maybe this would be more meaningful if I had. But… dang it, Ron, don't make me laugh!"

She was so threatening that he almost apologized.

She took a deep breath, savoring it for a moment. "Ron," I've known you for so long, and you're a great friend. I hope you know that. But… but there's something else. I've known this for a few years now, and I don't know why I never said anything earlier. But… oh, this sounds so stupid. Maybe I shouldn't say it." Now she was talking to herself. "No… as it anything is going to happen anyway." Her eyes were back on him. "Ron, I love you."

The words echoed through Ron's head. "What?"

She swore, extremely loud. "I knew I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry. I'm just going to…" She tore her eyes away from him and marched toward the door.

She loved him? This was a dream. Now it had to be. After the way he had felt about her for so long… He threw himself in the door way, Hermione almost walking through him.

"Ron!"

This was a dream, this was a dream. There were no other possibilities. After all those years she had spent yelling at him, how could she say something so maddening? She couldn't be joking, could she? "Are you serious, Hermione?" It was so great to say her name. "Are you serious?"

She stared at him, gasping for breath. "… Yes, I'm serious. Please don't hate me for it."

He laughed. How could he possibly hate her? "I didn't think you felt that way. Or else…" Or else he would have said something years ago. Bloody hell. "What about when I asked you to the Yule Ball?"

"I… I had already told Viktor. And you were being such a jerk."

Well, he had been a jerk. "But I really wanted you to go with me."

"Me go with you? I—" She held her breath. "What are you saying?"

What was he saying? "I… I'm saying what you said."

"What did I say?" But she didn't seem to be expecting an answer. The tears were coming again. "Ron…"

This could have been romantic. If he were alive. He turned away, frowning. "This is completely pointless."

"You weren't supposed to die," she whispered. "Or I would have told you sooner." She stamped her foot. "I hate this. Ron, why did you have to die like that?"

"Like it was my fault." He turned back to her, hating himself. All he could see now was the horrible beam of light coming at him.

For a long time neither of them said anything.

"Ron?"

She was so beautiful. Even when crying. "What now?"

She stood straight, though she was trembling. "Can I ask you something? I've always wanted… Ron, will you kiss me?"

She had snapped. The shock of seeing him had done something to her mind. "I can't—"

"I know," she interrupted. "I became very aware of that when I ran you through you but… Ron, I really need this. Could you just… pretend?"

She really was mad. "Pretend?"

"It's the best I can think of." She approached him, waiting.

Pretend, she had said. Pretend.

He reached down, wishing he could somehow touch her. It was so strange… a wavering hover over her face. She was so pretty. How was this to work.

It was close enough. He could feel her warmth. For a long time he couldn't think.

"You're so cold," she finally murmured.

"I know." Another brilliant response.

She laughed, eyes glistening. "Thanks."