A/N: Bwaha, after a hiatus, I am back. I just didn't know what to write, and I kept putting off this chapter until I could finish my first chapter for a challenge on FAP. Which, by the way, I haven't even started. Well, I did, then I deleted it all, but anyway...
Chapter 11: Don't Bother?

Ron gave Hermione a look of utter shock. Hermione stood there smiling lightly. Harry struggled to get the ring off his finger and threw it to Ginny. Ginny caught it in midair hastily without Hermione noticing.
"What ring?" repeated Hermione. Ron turned back to Ginny and saw her slip on the ring very dramatically in front of him before hiding it under her hand as it heated up. Ron nodded and squeaked,
"Ginny's ring. It's Ginny's ring." Hermione looked at Ron in surprise.
"What's wrong?" she asked concernedly. "Your voice changed already, didn't it?" Ron nodded. Harry, Ginny, as well as Hermione stared in shock at Ron, who seemed to be sweating profusely.
"Yes, and I don't think it's fair at all that you can just - just - just traipse into our dormitory when we can't even go into yours! Does no one know how to knock around here? What's wrong with you?" Ron demanded, his voice still just as high pitched.
"What's wrong with me?" Hermione repeated calmly. "I am not the one shrieking." Ginny jumped up from the bed, shot Ron one last aggravated look and then began tugging at Hermione's arm.
"Hold on, Ginny," demanded Hermione. Ginny struggled to stay calm. She bit her lip and held a firm grip on Hermione's arm.
"I really think that we should go to bed," pleaded Ginny. Hermione turned slowly around finally to look at Ginny. Hermione looked from Ginny to Harry.
"Bed?" spit Hermione as if this was some kind of curse word. "It's not even the afternoon yet!"
"I didn't mean go to sleep," laughed Ginny nervously. "I meant leave. Now." Hermione looked at Ginny to the doorway to Ron. She sighed.
"No," she said flatly. Ginny gave her a pathetic look but Hermione shook her head. "I don't care how well you think you're hiding this." Hermione turned back to Ron and crossed her arms indignantly.
Ron hadn't moved since he started squeaking. Ginny still had a limp grip on Hermione's shoulder but look defeated. Harry still sat awkwardly and was playing with his thumbs. Hermione was tapping her foot lightly. She uncrossed her arms and walked to a bed. She sat down with an even heavier sigh.
"I'm not stupid you know. If I'm not wrong, then I'm sure," said Hermione with a slight essence of annoyance, "you have all been talking about me?" Ron still looked paralyzed with worry and was now looking as if he was overheating underneath his robes. Ginny stood with her arms laying by her sides. Harry was the first to speak up.
"We were," he said confidently and clearly. Hermione nodded. Ron squeaked, 'Harry!' but not very coherently. "In fact, I think that Hermione has a right to know."
"She does not!" shouted Ginny shrilly, as if her own reputation was in jeopardy and not her brother's. Harry gave her a knowingly look and a slight smile. Ginny opened her mouth as if to say something, then backed down with a light gasp. "I know you're embarrassed," Harry said. He raised his eyebrow slightly. Ginny returned the smile from before. Hermione looked at Ginny with a very worrysome look on her face.
"Yeah, Ginny didn't want to tell you," Harry continued, "but she's worried that she's the reason you and Ron always fight." Hermione guffawed.
"What?" scoffed Hermione. Ron nodded quickly.
"She's worried that her breakup with Dean is having a bad effect on you," Ron chimed in. Ginny pat Ron's shoulder quickly before sitting next to Hermione.
"I don't exactly help. I always put him down in front of you," pointed out Ginny.
"And you always are such a prat about boys, Ginny," Ron continued. "Except when it comes to Harry, of course." Ginny got a wild look in her eyes, but kept herself relaxed.
"Oh, but I do complain about him. Constantly, in fact," insisted Ginny. Harry raised his eyebrow in a not-so-calm manner.
"Oh, when?" demanded Harry. Ginny shrugged.
"I guess too much. If it's having such a harsh affect on Hermione," Ginny shot a slightly coquettish smile at both Harry and Ron.
"Ginny, don't worry about that," Hermione insisted. "I do give them a hard time. Especially about Ron not being serious enough." Ginny nodded in agreement.
"Or caring enough!"
"Or being too insensitive."
"Or pushy."
"Or just plain cocky."
"Okay, Ginny, that's enough," shouted Ron. He'd since regained a normal voice back. Ginny nodded grudgingly and stood up. Hermione had seemed satisfied, but soon crossed her arms in confusion once again.
"But if that's it, then I'd like to know why you've all been so dodgy lately," demanded Hermione.
"No, that's it," barked Harry. Hermione dropped her jaw a little.
"Don't lie to me. You're my best friend, and you - Ginny - and Ron!" Hermione looked near to tears. "I don't - " Hermione gave up. She crossed her arms, more insecurely then indignant. Ron looked at her, and the empathy in his eyes made even Ginny let out a quick gasp of sympathy. Harry wanted to roll his eyes. He knew that there was nothing for Hermione to worry about. Everyone else knew that and while he felt bad, he didn't feel sorry enough to cry for her. Ginny looked directly at Harry. Harry stared back for a moment, then realized she was motioning for them to leave. Harry gave her a confused expression. She rolled her eys and motioned again. Harry shook his head and stood up. Ginny got up as well but strolled out of the dormitory and down to the common room. Ron sat down next to now silent Hermione and put an arm around her shoulder. Harry decided at once Ginny was probably right and followed her down.

"I wouldn't have been able to think that fast," Ginny said as Harry sat down next to her. Harry shrugged.
"Well, you sure were quick to back me up," Harry replied. Ginny shifted in her seat and glared at him.
"What do you mean by that?" demanded Ginny.
"No," Harry said quickly. "I just meant - you were quick too. Ron would've been hesitant in catching up." Ginny nodded and returned to her position.
"Well, there's a lot of differences between Ron and I," remarked Ginny coyly. Harry laughed quietly.
"Besides the fact that you're female and get better marks? There are less differences then you think," Harry responded. Ginny faced Harry and hit him hard on the arm.
"Ouch," Harry said flatly. Ginny rolled her eyes and inched away from Harry. Harry began to feel a rush of awkwardness between them. He began playing with his fingers again and watching his nails as if they'd suddenly become very interesting. He turned slowly to catch a glimpse of Ginny's hands. He noticed that Hermione's engagement ring was still wrapped around her finger, but color seemed to stay a pinkish color. Just as he noticed this, Ginny clasped her hand over her ring finger almost as a reflex. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she took off the ring.
"I just thought of another difference between me and Ron," Ginny said quietly. Harry turned to look directly at Ginny's face.
"What?" he asked, not even blinking.
"I would never do anything this stupid," sighed Ginny. She made a motion as if she was going to toss the ring to the ground, but laid it on her lap instead.
"What do you mean? You don't think Ron knows he's making the right desicion?" Harry snapped. Besides his defensiveness, he couldn't help feeling a pang of agreement inside. Ginny shook her head confidently.
"No, of course he doesn't," Ginny said in an almost haughty way. "He's in love with Hermione, that's plain to see. And I don't doubt he is in love. But there's no way in hell Ron is ready to be married!" Her voice continued to rise. "And there's obviously been no time for Ron to think about what mum and dad are going to say! He's been too busy planning and denying and hiding!"
"So just because they're young and straight out of school means they are incapable of being married? Or having a life?" asked Harry somewhat coolly. Ginny nodded with a scornful expression and opened her mouth to continue. She stopped with her mouth wide open when she saw Harry's almost dark expression. Ginny stamped her foot.
"No," she muttered, "no, I didn't mean that. It's not that I doubt that people can't be responsible enough out of Hogwarts." Ginny continued to explain diplomatically, "Of all people, Hermione is the most adult person I've ever met, besides actual adults, of course. It's just that, Ron is still such a child. He still needs his mum and dad - as do I, I hate to admit - and he's just not prepared to support Hermione." Harry shrugged doubtfully. He ran his fingers through is messy, black hair. Then he looked at Ginny again, staring her straight in her green eyes and shrugged with a question.
"We can't stop him. I don't run Ron's life," said Harry plainly. Ginny shook her head.
"Ron thinks he can make his own desicions. We've tried to tell him that proposing is a bad idea but - "
"Have you?" demanded Harry loudly. Ginny looked taken aback. "Please! You get lovestruck by the sound of the word 'marriage'. If anyone has been encouraging him the most, it's been you! With your voluntary reasearch and your excitement - it's your fault!" Ginny looked enraged now and jumped up. If Harry had not been up against worse, he would've been terrified. Instead he just stood up.
"Excuse me?" shrieked Ginny. A few people who were in the common room had been glancing at the scene they were causing, but they were certainly a source of entertainment now. "This - is - not - my - fault!" She stood there, unable to stay still as her hands flailed about - from pulling the back of her hair too tugging the bottom of her blouse. She let out a shrill sound of frusteration and stormed after her own dormitory. Harry, who hadn't been one to chase after her before, grabbed her arm before she could reach her staircase.
"Don't be so dramatic, Ginny," barked Harry.
"Now you're ordering me. That's nice," said Ginny through gritted teeth. "But I will not stand here and let you place all the blame on me. I care about him as much as you do! You're his best friend, so why don't you do something?" Harry looked hesitant for a moment. Then said,
"It's not my life to run. I can stay out of it and let him think about it, because one thing I am not going to ruin is their relationship! But are you helping? No! So why don't you just stop pushing him and leave him alone," Ginny jerked herself away from his grip.
"You will not grab me," said Ginny indignantly. "If you think I don't care about my brother then you have some nerve. You walk around here thinking that no one tries to care when you know very well how untrue that is! So don't act so arrogant or you're going to lose a lot more then you deserve." She took Harry's brief moment of shocked silence as a reply and treaded off to her room once again. There was something about this that made Harry more eager to back away then chase after her.

"Ever since I've known you, you've been my biggest crush or one of my best friends," said Hermione. Her head was rested on Ron's shoulder and her hand in his. There had been silence for a while and Ron moved off her slightly when she broke it. Hermione continued, "It's not that you have secrets that scare me - it's that I know you're lying. That's what upsets me."
"You now how lies are sometimes good?" suggested Ron casually. Hermione laughed but shook her head.
"You'll tell me eventually?" asked Hermione expectantly. Ron nodded and pulled her a little closer.
"You'll definitely find out eventually," Ron said. They were quiet a little while longer until Ron spoke up again, "I don't like lying to you. It's not something I enjoy. It's not like Quidditch." Hermione wrapped Ron's arm a little closer to her.
"Nobody likes lying. I just hope you will be someone I can always trust," said Hermione closing her eyes and just resting against Ron. Ron closed his own eyes, too.
"As if we were to get married or something?" asked Ron. Suddenly, Ron felt like slapping his hand to his forehead.
"What?" laughed Hermione loudly. So loudly and incredulously, in fact, that Seamus almost fell out of his bed. Hermione slid away from Ron on the bed so that they were no longer touching but just sitting next to each other. Seamus still had been sleeping all this time dove for the nearest clock once he was conscious.
"What the - when did - why didn't you guys wake me up?" he demanded groggily.
"Because I'm not a bloody clock, Seamus," laughed Ron in a very irritated way. Seamus glared at him but shooed the two out so that he would dress and get downstairs. Hermione made a point of acting revolted as she rushed in front of Ron. Once in the common room, Hermione began to laugh again.
"What?" asked Ron, feeling very left out of something.
"No. I just - I just remembered you comparing us now to 'marriage'," Hermione said, hitting his arm playfully. "I know you can't be serious, Ron." Ron tried his best to express hurt in his face.
"What makes you say that?" asked Ron quietly and a bit nervously. Hermione smiled at him brightly and shrugged.
"We're not going to get married anytime soon. Maybe someday of course, but it's not like after graduating we're making a point of, erm, making it official," Hermione said pointedly. Ron swallowed hard.
"Really?" Ron, struggling very hard to keep disappointment out of his voice. Hermione stared at him curiously.
"Why? Do you want to get married?" Hermioned asked slowly, "Right now?"
"Not right now," muttered Ron, "maybe not ever." It was Hermione's turn to look disappointed.
"Not ever?" Hermioned asked breathlessly. "Can you honestly tell me that after growing up in such a big family you never want to get married?" Ron shrugged.
"I don't know," Ron said. "You're the one who doesn't want to get married."
"Ron! I'm in school! I have Hogwarts to finish! Then I have to get a job! And I don't even want to start thinking about having a family until I can get that together! I never said I never wanted to marry you," Hermione said, exhasperated. Ron shrugged and sighed. Hermione rest a hand on his shoulder. She opened her mouth to say something, but was suddenly interrupted by a tap on her own shoulder. It was Lavender Brown.
"Not all of us finished our homework in our dorm rooms last night," she said miserably. She looked somewhat irritated and exhausted, not as cheerful and bubbly as Hermionewas used toher. "If there was less storming in and out of the common room I wouldn't be so distracted. I get enough of distraction from my boyfriend." Lavender flashed a quick smile. Lavender rolled her eyes and Ron snapped quickly,
"Yes, a boyfriend who was considerate enough to wait until this afternoon to get out of the damned dorm room." Lavender huffed.
"My point is, quiet down," demanded Lavender shrilly.
"Anyway," Hermione said slowly but quietly, "I love you, very much." Hermione paused for a smile. "But we don't have to worry about getting married for a while, alright?" Ron had to force himself to keep his smile straight. He sighed.
"Fine. I won't worry."


A/N: I hope to have the next installment a lot quicker!