Chapter 6: The Ring and the Redhead

"Ron!" Ginny gasped even more excitedly, "What the hell are you doing with a ring? Oh my - it's gorgeous - " Ron stuffed the little black box back in the pocket of his Gryffindor robes. He grabbed Ginny around the waist and covered her mouth with his hand as if he were kidnapping her. All you could hear were her muffled screams. Finally, she bit him.
"Ow!" Ron yelped, "Blimey, Ginny! Where'd you learn to bite like that?!" Ginny looked at him disgustedly.
"What did you do that for?" Ginny demanded, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I told you to shut up," Ron said, back in whisper.
"Where did you get that? Where did you find the money to get that? When did you get that? Oh my God, Ron - " Ginny couldn't hold in her flood of questions any longer.
"And clearly I go unnoticed," Ron muttered to himself. Ginny was almost shaking with excitement.
"Did you get that for Hermione?" she asked, whispering too. Ron rolled his eyes.
"No, Ginny. It's really my color, don't you think?" he said sarcastically in a high voice. Ginny had to bite her lip from becoming out of control again.
"Are you going to propose or something? Because, I mean, Ron - you're only seventeen," Ginny said seriously. Ron looked down to the floor and shuffled his feet. Ginny hit him on the arm lightly.
"Ouch!" Ron shouted. Ginny guffawed.
"Are you kidding me?" she laughed. "I barely touched you!" Ron chuffed. "So," Ginny continued, "Answer me!" They stared at each other in silence for a moment until Ron finally said,
"As you were being stupid with Dean - " Ginny swatted him on the back of the head and muttered What the hell are you talking about? under her breath " - and Harry was drinking himself ridiculous, Hermione went to get a round of butterbeers for us. This bloke was there," Ron explained. When he stopped there, Ginny waved her hand to signal him to continue. With a sigh, he started again, "He was wearing these blue cloaks and had a hood over his face. He said to me; 'That's a pretty lady you got there. If you ever think about sealing the deal - you know, legally - just take this little one off my hands.' And then he hands me this stupid little box. I had no clue what the hell he was talking about, but when I looked inside - there was this ring." Ginny let out a long sigh at the gold band. There was a little sphere on top that resembled a crystal ball. Flakes of white danced in the sphere.
"It's amazing," Ginny breathed. "So are you going to...er, 'seal the deal'?" she asked excitedly. Ron bit his lip nervously. Ginny stared at him, wide-eyed, and jumped up and down. Ron pushed her out of his way and started walking down the hall. Ginny followed by his side.
"I don't know yet," he finally confessed in a huffy way. Ginny frowned, but nodded understandingly. She jumped in front of him, forcing him to halt and almost topple over. She grabbed his chin.
"Aw, little Ronnie's growing up! I'm so proud," she said teasingly and shook his face back and forth. Ron bit her hand this time. She made a yelping sound and just glared at him briefly.
"Where were you off to in such a rush?" Ron asked, refering to why Ginny had been storming back to the Gryffindor common room. Ginny shrugged.
"Hermione and I just got in a little argument," Ginny said simply.
"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow, "what about?" Ginny couldn't look him in the eye.
"Nothing," she mumbled, suddenly realizing that this would just peak his interest. Should've lied, she thought to herself. To her surprise, Ron just shrugged.
"Oh, well, was Hermione in a bad mood?" he asked. Ginny looked at him hesitantly for a moment, then shook her head.
"Are you sure you're ready to get married?" Ginny asked, sticking close to Ron again. Ron pushed her aside again.
"Ginny!" he snapped. Ginny ignored him.
"There is alot to think about. Where would you get married? Where would you live? What would you tell mom and dad - oh, mom and dad!" Ginny continued to bombard him with questions. She caught a murderous glint in his eye as he grabbed her shoulder.
"Ginny," he said sternly, "you promised." Ginny sighed and nodded.
"I need to get back to the common room," Ginny said, even though there was no special purpose for her there.
"I'll walk you," Ron offered. Ginny smiled to herself. This is my big brother? she thought. She almost laughed out loud at how much Ron had changed since he'd been with Hermione. So much more considerate, his grades had remarkably improved, and he's come to respect both Hermione and Ginny much, much more. Hermione brought out all the best qualities in him. Hermione had learned to loosen up. Though her grades had remained top, her formerly strict study schedule had slowed down, allowing her to relax. It seemed she didn't know the definition of that word before Ron.

Hermione still held the open book in her hands even after minutes had passed since Ginny had left the library. She sighed sadly and shut the book slowly, clutching it over her chest with her arms crossed over the cover. Walking slowly back to the table, she sat down without much motion. She felt absolutely horrible for how she'd just treated one of her best friends. It wasn't worth hurting her just to find out how she felt...
But she'd just been trying to help. Ginny was making a big mistake. Dean over Harry? Oh, she was so sure.
Although she might be making a mistake, shouldn't Hermione let her make it? It's not my place to tell her what to do, Hermione reasoned with herself. Everything happens for a reason, after all. Setting the book down on the table slowly, she looked outside. It was already dark out. She slipped the books into her bag, swung her messenger bag back over her shoulder and started for the common room.
She stopped at the Fat Lady's portrait. Ginny and Ron had just stopped before her.
"Hey, Ginny," said Hermione as a simple greeting, like nothing happened. Ginny tried to look at her angrily, but burst into a fit of giggles. Ron shot her a glare and pushed her over. Hermione smiled.
"What?" she asked, amusement in her voice. Ginny bit her lip and blurted out a slurred version of the password to the portrait.
"Dear, I can't understand you," the woman snapped. Ron rolled his eyes and spit out the password. "No need to speak so curtly," she mumbled as she opened the doorway.
Hermione reached a table and motioned for Ginny to come over. Ginny started to walk towards her, but Ron snatched her shoulder.
"Not a word," he barked in a whisper. She sighed and jerked away from his grasp.
"Yu-huh?" she asked in unconvincing irritation as she sat down next to Hermione. Hermione pushed a curl behind her ear and discreetly pulled out the 'love potions' book from her bag. Handing it to Ginny, she apologized,
"Sorry about the library, I didn't mean to push you."
"It's alright," Ginny dismissed it. She took the book from Hermione and held it in her lap. "I overreacted. Whatever. I need to finish off some homework." She raced up to her dormitory without another word, only waving off to Ron. Hermione sighed helplessly, knowing that apologizing was the only thing she could do. Ron smiled at Hermione from across the room. He looked around the common room. No one. Must be close to dinner time, he thought to himself. He smiled at this thought and got lost in his imaginations about dinner for a second, then snapped his attention back to his girlfriend.
"Hermione!" he shouted. Hermione blinked, as if coming back from thought, then looked at Ron. She huffed.
"No need to yell," she scolded, crossing her arms and leaning into the table. Ron hopped over to the seat next to her that Ginny had left. Hermione stared at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Is there something I should know? Have your brothers been sending you those treats again? You know how you react to those things," Hermione complained. Ron shook his head.
"We're alone in the common room," he mused. Hermione guffawed.
"Oh, please, do you ever think about anything else anymore?" she laughed. Ron shrugged.
"Sure I do," he remarked. "Like...food, and...well, you and food. That's about it."
"Come on," she said, "that can't be it." Ron thought for a moment, then replied,
"Well, no, it's not. But do you really think I remember everything I think I've thought about?" Hermione shrugged. Ron laughed quietly and Hermione let herself be hugged by him. She turned around wrapped her arms around his neck and Ron kissed her on the lips. Hermione's heart skipped a beat as all that could be heard by the two was the crackling of the fire. With this being the only other distraction, they jumped apart as footsteps stampeded into the middle of the common room.
"Lavender!" Ron shouted, saying it as if it was more of an accusation then a comment.
"Ron, Hermione, I see you haven't started off for the Great Hall!" She beamed as she waved a piece of parchment in their faces. "Would you sign, please?" she begged.
"What's this for?" asked Ron shortly, still annoyed for her interruption. Lavender looked at them for a moment, then sighed dreamily.
"You and Hermione...goodness, that's...that's marvelous, right? You'd surely be the most adorable couple at the Spring Ball," she remarked. Ron sneered.
"Spring Ball?" he snorted. "What, so you've gotten McGonagall and Dumbledore to approve this?" Lavender smiled.
"Ron, it's just a suggestion. It will get their attention if you sign this." Lavendar shook the parchment in his face again, but Ron pushed it away. Hermione shrugged uncomfortably. She knew it was most likely he'd react this way.
"It won't hurt to sign it," Hermione pointed out casually. "Just because they'll have one doesn't mean you have to go." Ron gaped.
"You want to go?" he asked in wonder. Hermione shrugged.
"I'd go, you know, if they had one. It wouldn't be terribly awful," she said, her voice trailing off. Ron looked to Hermione, then to the parchment Lavender still held firmly in front of him, as if making a decision. With a sigh, he muttered,
"Where's a quill."
"Oh, you don't have to if you don't want to," Hermione insisted unconvincingly. Ron shrugged.
"Makes no difference to me," he said, still scribbling his signature onto the parchment. Lavender thanked Ron and handed the parchment to Hermione. Hermione skimmed the list of names already on the paper before she touched the quill to the parchment. Lavender nodded and stashed her things in a pack before returning to the Great Hall.
"She's gone now," Ron whispered. He reached for Hermione's hand, but she jumped up from her seat.
"Dinner, Ron," she pointed out. Ron let out a long sigh.
"Alright, I'll make an exception this once," he joked with a wink. Hermione guffawed again and hit him playfully on the shoulder as she followed him for dinner.

"Ginny, how did you get here so quickly? You were just in the common room," Ron inquired loudly of his sister as he squeezed into the gap between Neville and Harry.
"Suppose you wouldn't have noticed me. I tried not to..erm, interrupt you." Ginny smirked. Harry, Seamus, and Dean, who had heard her, chuckled under their breaths. Hermione blushed, but Ron just rolled his eyes. He sat down and motioned for Neville to scoot over in his seat so that Hermione could sit down.
They were all in the middle of eating when the blur that was Parvati shuttled past Ginny, Dean, and Seamus on the other side of the table.
"Damnit, Patil!" shrieked Ginny. "I just was able to get my hair right!"
"Right?" Ron asked. "Is there a wrong for hair?" Ginny glared at him.
"I styled it," she said quietly.
"Since when do you 'style' your hair? You, all you. You have to have the perfect robes and most pretty hair," mocked Ron in a girlish voice. "'Oh, did I curl it just right?' 'Does this fit on me?' Women..."
"Ahem," coughed Hermione. "Are you talking about when I was asking you about that hat the other day in Honeydukes?" Ron's eyes widened a bit and he turned back to his food.
"Well, I think it looks nice, Ginny," said Dean with a smile. Ginny smiled back. She looked somewhat uncomfortable as she looked to Hermione. Harry slammed his fork down unconsciously at the comment.
"What is she rushing for anyway?" Seamus asked, his mouth full.
"Some 'ball' petition," replied Dean. "Wouldn't be horrible if it passed," he added casually, winking at Ginny, who didn't happen to catch it.
"Yes it would," Harry grumbled. Ginny slammed down her fist, napkin in hand, on the table.
"Why are you being such a git?" she demanded. He snapped his head up to her.
"What the - " he began to respond, but Ginny shook her head.
"I don't understand. It's not our fault anymore that you are in such a bad mood. Wouldn't you just talk to us or something?" she shouted. She opened her grasp on the napkin and slammed her palm to her temples.
"Excuse me, Ginny?" he bellowed, "What is your problem?"
"If I didn't make myself clear," she explained through gritted teeth, "it's you." Everyone else around them at the Gryffindor table quieted down and turned back to their dinner. Harry froze in a locked glare at Ginny. Ginny looked around the group nervously, as if she had said something she hadn't really meant to. Hermione silently drummed her fingers on the table and looked from Harry to Ginny, like she wanted to say something to them. Ron looked uncomfortable in the sudden silence among themselves.
"So, finals are coming - " Ron began to say casually, but Harry interrupted,
"How is it that anything I do, affects you?" Ginny crossed her arms. Ron shrugged.
"Or, we could talk about this too..."
"Anything you do affects everyone. Especially us, your friends!" Ginny yelled. Harry huffed quietly and looked down at the table.
People seemed to disappear from around the tables, and Harry and Ginny realized that Hermione and Ron were waiting for them to head back to the common rooms for the night.
"Goodnight, Harry," snapped Ginny, angrily leaping off of the bench and pushing pass everyone else to get to the head of the crowd.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked Harry in a whisper as the boys were in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory late at night.
"Dunno," mumbled Harry, pulling back the covers over his bed abruptly. He jumped inside and turned away from Ron. Ron sighed quietly and looked around the room. There wasn't anyone awake, or rather everyone was trying to sleep. Quietly, he got down on his knees and pulled out a little black box from under his bed. Inside was the sphere ring. He smiled at it and took it out.
Can't try it on, he thought. What would they think if they were to wake up and see me with a ring on? Besides, it's for Hermione. He walked up to the window and held it up to the frosted glass. He twirled it around in his palm as it caught glimpses of the moonlight in the reflection of the crystal ball. He heard Harry stir in his bed and quickly stuffed the ring in the box and snapped it shut. Hermione...is the most beautiful girl I've ever known...not that I'd ever say that in public. He smoothed his thumb over the black velvet cover that was tearing off the box. When he was sitting on the bed once again, he flicked his two thumbs against each other nervously. I can't marry Hermione! I'm not even eighteen yet. This is stupid. We've only been a couple for almost six months, Ron reasoned with himself. Then he remembered something Harry had told him before.
"You've been a couple for seven years, you just didn't know it," he'd said. It's not like he could imagine himself with anyone else. Lena had been his only other real girlfriend, and that had been that passed summer. He didn't even really like her all that much. Hermione on the other hand? Viktor Krum was a name he could think of at that moment. A name he used to admire, now it was as good as dirt. Every summer, his siblings would tease him constantly about his crush. Ginny always told him how great a person Hermione was. How smart Hermione was. How pretty Hermione was. When she started going on about her looks, Ron had gotten the hints.
It doesn't matter if I'm ready to be married, which I'm not, Ron began to disagree again. Hermione would think I've gone mad. Wouldn't be surprised if she dropped me on the spot, either. He looked down at his big hands and realized he was still holding the tiny box. He tossed it under the bed and climbed under the blankets.


A/N: Ooh, what's going to happen?? Ha ha...well stay tuned!! A crystal ball ring, eh? Interesting, right..am I right? (Shut up Veronica...) Anyway, I have loads of schoolwork but I'm doing the best I can to put out the stories in an efficiently quick way. Stay with me here...hope you're enjoying the story so far!! PLEASE REVIEW!