Chapter 2: Shut Up

"Harry, what are you doing now?" Ron asked, a little whiny. Harry looked up from his parchment and books to Ron and said,
"Homework, Ron. What about you?" Ron looked over to his stack of unfinished homework and sighed.
"Oh right," he mumbled, sitting down. Reluctantly, he began to finish his too. It turned very quiet as the only sounds in the common room were the quick scratching of pens against parchment, breathing, and flipping of pages. The two would look towards each other from time to time to see if they'd rather do something else.
"Done," Harry finally said triumphantly with a sigh of relief. He put away the finished paper and stuffed his books into a sack. In a minute, Ron held up his own paper with a smile.
"Finished," he said, still smiling. He looked to his shortened pile of still unfinished homework and sighed. "Damn, I'm not finished." Harry shrugged.
"Maybe Hermione will help you," he suggested.
"Hey, I don't have to spend every waking hour with her, Harry," Ron shouted defensively.
"But you do anyway," Harry remarked. Ron shrugged.
"Oh, she'll probably come in later. I actually told her I wanted to talk to her," Ron said. When Harry's expression didn't change, he continued, "About you, Harry."
"About me? Why?" he asked, confused.
"Well, because your constant aloofness is getting really annoying," Ron said, throwing his pen to the paper. "Hermione probably knows someone just willing enough to go out with you." Harry put his face in his hands and shook his head. He looked up at Ron and waved his hands to show his disapproval.
"No, Ron, don't even ask her. I don't need you to do that. I don't want you to do that," Harry begged.
"Why not? Isn't that what you want?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head.
"Not like that, no," Harry muttered.
"Well, Harry, you're never going to do anything about it! Stop being so dodgy about what you want," Ron cried. Harry knew he was right, but he didn't want him talking to Hermione about this. Hermione was very kind and considerate, but he was just barely comfortable talking to Ron about what he wanted.
"Do whatever you want," Harry finally managed to mumble. He grabbed his sack of things and rushed out into the halls.

Ron sighed as Harry ran out. He grabbed another book from the pile and threw it open in front of him and began to struggle through writing his essay. He was a few sentences in when Hermione came into the common room.
"Hey, I see your doing homework," Hermione commented casually. She sat down and straightened up. "I finished mine hours ago. Just starting your Potions, I see? Well, considering the trouble you'll probably be in if you don't get that done, I'll just leave you alone then."
"No, Hermione, I needed to talk to you," Ron said, quickly putting his homework away. Hermione looked annoyed that he wasn't going to complete his essay, but sat there long enough for Ron to talk to her.
"Have you noticed how..different Harry is acting lately?" Ron started. Hermione shrugged.
"Oh, right, Harry...I guess he seems a little reserved lately. Maybe he's just getting used to...us, I mean, we had to get used to...us," Hermione suggested. Ron shook his head and dismissed her explanation completely.
"No, no..that's not it. He's well...lonely," Ron said.
"Lonely, why?" Hermione asked with a confused expression.
"Because...he doesn't have a you," Ron said, trying to find the right words to handle this sensitively.
"A me?" Hermione whispered, pointing to herself, "He wants a me?"
"Not a you, just...what you are...to..he wants a someone to talk to, to go out with..not just a girl pal, you know!" Ron finally yelled, frusterated. Hermione took a deep sigh, finally understanding.
"Oh. And...you're going to find him one?" Hermione said, laughing. She added sarcastically, "Well, fine then...good luck with that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked. Hermione shrugged. Looking away, she said,
"It's just I wonder if you're the right person he should be talking to." Ron stood up and leaned against the table, both hands on the wood.
"Why not?" he asked. Hermione stood up too so that she was level with him again. She wasn't yelling; she still kept her calm stance.
"Well, Ron," she began with a laugh, "it took you six years to write a silly little note that you wouldn't even admit was yours. I just don't think Harry should be talking to you to find him a 'not just a girl pal.'" Ron flopped back onto his seat.
"You're right, and I knew that," he mumbled. "That's why I needed to talk to you. Hermione, what do you think?"
"I can't think of anyone right now," Hermione said. Suddenly she got an idea. Sitting up straight and resting her hands on the table, she suggested, "What about Parvati? Parvati's pretty. And, remember, Harry took her to the Yule Ball."
"Do you even remember the Yule Ball?" Ron asked, somewhat bitterly.
"Yes, I do," Hermione remarked. Ron huffed and crossed his arms.
"I'm sure you do," Ron snapped in a mumble. Hermione giggled a little under her breath.
"Ron," she said, still laughing, "I can't believe you. That was three years ago. It's not like the Yule Ball, or anything after, meant anything. Well, besides that miserable murder..."
"What happened still happened," Ron muttered looking down at the ground. Hermione gently caressed his arm to calm him down. Ron sighed and let his crossed arms hang down at his sides.
"It's really nice that you want to do this for Harry. But did you even talk to him about this?" Hermione asked quietly. Ron nodded.
"Of course I did."
"And what did he say?" Ron knew that just under twenty minutes ago Harry had told him specifically not to talk to Hermione about this before storming out. When Ron didn't answer, Hermione nodded and said, "I thought so," quietly.
"Look, I'm doing him a favor," Ron said to defend his purpose. Hermione nodded comfortingly even though Ron knew she obviously didn't agree.
"He told you not even to talk to me, didn't he?" Hermione asked to coax out the truth. Ron eyed her suspiciously and crossed his arms again.
"I thought you didn't take Divination."

Harry slowed his pace as he walked farther and farther away from the common room. He was heading to the library, even though he knew he wouldn't be doing much once he arrived there.
"In a hurry?" asked a voice behind him. It took Harry a moment to realize they were talking to him. He stopped and turned around. Ginny was standing there and gave him a quick smile. She probably was just returning from the library, as she was clutching a few rolls of parchment and dragging a lumpy sack obviously packed with books.
"Hi, Ginny," Harry muttered before turning and continuing to the library.
"Is there something the matter?" Ginny asked somewhat abruptly. Harry stopped but didn't turn around.
"No," he answered shortly. He realized that he was just being temperamental with Ginny because he was upset with Ron. Why was he angry with Ron anyway? He was only trying to help a friend, even if Harry didn't want to be helped that way. He turned towards Ginny and waved his hand out as if he was offering an apology. "Sorry, Ginny..I just have a lot on my mind." Ginny nodded.
"It's alright, but what could possibly be bothering you?" she asked. Harry scoffed.
"There's a lot that could be bothering me," Harry said as-a-matter-of-factly. Ginny stepped closer to Harry so she wasn't shouting across the darkening halls.
"Well what exactly is bothering you?" Ginny asked, a little more polite and sweet then before. Harry waved her off and began walking again. Ginny was about to do the same but stayed still. She didn't begin walking again. When Harry noticed the too-quiet halls, he turned around.
"What?" Harry asked curtly.
"I know there's something bothering you," Ginny said. "You're heading towards the library, which is going to be closed very soon. You're angry with me, when I've done nothing but ask you what's wrong." Harry sighed and let his sackslip from his fingers onto the floor.
"We better talk about this while we walk back to the common room."

"Now I'll ask you again, Harry. What is it that you won't let Ron help you with?" Ginny asked as soon as they'd returned to the common room. "Hi, Ron, Hermione," she greeted the two with a smile.
"Oh, Ginny," Hermione said with a bright smile. She quickly leaned across the table and whispered to Ron, "Why don't you ask Ginny?" Ron shook his head.
"My sister? That's just brilliant," Ron whispered back sarcastically. Hermione gave him a stern look.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Well, because..because, well you've got me doing homework after dinner. Haven't you done enough damage?" Ron snapped. Hermione leaned back from the table and got up.
"Get any work done at the library?" Hermione asked Harry to make conversation.
"I finished before I went down there," Harry said politely. He was just trying to get her out of the way so he could make his way to the dormitory. Ron was about to do the same when Hermione suggested,
"Ginny, why don't you sit down?" Ron rolled his eyes and joined them at the table.
"Did Harry talk to you coming back here?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded.
"Yeah, in fact, he's upset with you, Ron. He didn't have a chance to tell me why."
"I was going to find him someone for him to go out with," Ron explained. Ginny nodded again.
"That makes sense. Just not the part about you doing that," Ginny said, laughing at Ron. Ron slammed his fist on the table.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"So," Ginny asked, "did you want me to help?" Ron shook his head quickly.
"No, no, Ginny I don't," Ron pleaded. Ginny sighed.
"That's too bad. I knew someone who happens to have a crush on Harry. She's very nice, very pretty."
"Oh, another sixth year? Like no one would be willing who's our own age?" Ron snapped curtly. "Enough of your Gryffindor friends have done enough damage."
"So I made a bad choice with Lena," Ginny remarked, thinking quickly. "But Katherine Linski is the smartest girl in the class."
"Brains, oh corking. I'm sold, get her over," Ron said sarcastically, slapping his hand to his forehead. Hermione didn't even think before swatting the back of his head with such force he was sent head first into the table.
"You are such a git, Ron," Ginny commented. Ron glared at her as he rubbed the back of his head.
"So, Ginny, what else is there about Katherine?" Hermione asked.
"Wait one minute, who said we were talking about her anymore?" Ron cried. Both Hermione and Ginny took a look at Ron, then turned back to each other to continue talking.
"She has straight, brown hair, I think blue eyes, and she's got a great sense of humor. I think her father or uncle or something owns part of that joke shop in Diagon."
"Joke shop?" Ron asked hesitantly. Ginny smiled and nodded again. She knew she'd sold them.
"Top of your class?" Hermione whispered almost to herself. Ginny shook her head.
"She's not a Gryffindor," she said quietly, looking down at the table.
"I thought you said she was the smartest girl in your class?" Hermione asked, disappointed. Ginny was also set back. For a moment, she thought she'd actually done a better job then Ron and proved him wrong once again.
"When I said that, I meant out of the sixth years," Ginny explained. "She's a Ravenclaw."
"You are friends with a Ravenclaw? Good enough friends with another house?" Ron accused, staring her down with narrowed eyes. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"What's wrong with that?" she demanded. "Absolutely nothing!" Hermione sighed.
"Ginny's right, Ron. Remember Cho? She was a Ravenclaw." Ron threw his hands up in the air.
"Cho was mental! We all remember how that turned out!" Ron shouted. Hermione ignored him.
"If you get a chance, ask her to come to the library before dinner," she said. "And Ron - I don't want another word out of you."


A/N: Me using British terms sounds really weird, I know, but don't blame me for trying. To clue you in, I have only a vague sense of where this story's going, I only basically know the ultimate outcome. But don't worry - you know I always come up with something. Hopefully, we both won't be disappointed.
And July 16th for the HP&THBP? I can't survive half a year without something, what with the movie out in November...you all know what I'm talking about!