Wedding Bells are Ringing

Chapter One, Hermione: Girl Talk

A/N: This chapter will be in Hermione P.O.V. The next in Ron's P.O.V. for mostly the same events. Thanks to all my reviewers:

dancerdw (I'm glad you liked it!), Sugarquill824 (Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed and thought they were in character.), griffin14 (thanks for your honesty. Hope it's friggin awesome. Sorry about the exclamation points…I tried to keep them down in this chapter. By the way, do you prefer to be referred to as annie or griffin14? Just wondering), Morning Rose (Glad you liked it and thought I had their personalities), SleepyHead22 (Yay! Thanks a bunch), Machiavelli Jr (Glad you thought it was pretty good. Yeah, I get what you're saying. I'll try to capture him better next chapter.), mysticofthepen (Wow! Your enthusiasm is extremely encouraging. ;D)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: JKR owns Harry Potter. I do not.

"Soooooooo…" Ginny pulled at a loose thread on her sheet. I had a mad urge to reach out and just rip the thing out, but I refrained.

"Sooo…what?" I asked unenthusiastically. These sessions of 'girl talk', although seemingly a normal thing for a girl my age to take part in, I found extremely boring and unproductive. Boys, boys, boys was always the topic for these discussions. I am just as attracted to boys as the next girl, but really! Shouldn't we be spending more time studying, or actually (god forbid) acting upon the impulses we have toward these boys! Of course, these would only work if the boy you like is actually bright enough to realize, or at least respond to your efforts…

"When are you going to tell him?" She looked up quickly, wavy red hair framing her pretty face.

"Who?" I asked, feigning innocence and polite curiosity. She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, as if to say 'Really, must I deal with this?'. When I continued my act she decided to play along.

"My dear older brother."

"Which one?" Another sigh.

"Ron, you twit! I know you like him!" After glimpsing my shocked (at least that's what I was striving for) face, she straightened and glared down her nose at me. She really can be very intimidating when she wants to be. "Don't even try to deny it," she stated. Instead of doing exactly what she had forewarned me not to do and risk the wrath of her bat-bogey curse I quickly changed the subject.

"Then don't even try to deny that you are still…" Searching for a word and coming up with none better, I continued, "fraternizing with Harry!"

"Fraternizing? I would hardly call it that!"

"Then what would you call it, Miss Weasley?" Before the blushing red-head could answer, a loud clunk, then coughing came from the other side of the door…Muttering followed as I crept towards the door. Flinging open the door, I don't know what I suspected to see, but certainly not the scene that was exposed.

Ron was on the floor picking up shards of a ceramic pot that had fallen off a small cabinet next to the door, alternately muttering under his breath and coughing. Phlegm was gazing down at him imperiously with her hand poised to knock on the now open door. Remus and Tonks were standing in the doorway of the room across the hall, concern on their faces. All of them looked up, surprised, at my arrival. Fleur was the first to recover.

"Ah, 'ermione," she spoke in that smooth voice that turned most men (and boys) into mush. "I was just coming to get you. We're going to look at wedding dresses. Mrs. Weasley and I were 'oping that you and Ginevra would like to accompany us."

Ginny poked her head out the door.

"Did somebody say wedding dresses?" she asked curiously.

"Oui. Would you like to accompany us?" Ginny spoke before I had a chance.

"Of course! Come on 'Mione," she dragged me bodily from the door, dislike for Phlegm apparently forgotten in the excitement over dresses. As Fleur clapped her hands with a pleased expression on her face and walked off, Ginny stopped. She turned to look suspiciously at Ron. "Hey Ron…what are you doing out here?" Ron's ears turned an adorable shade of red.

"Erm, I was just, um admiring, this, um pot. Fleur just kinda, um, scared me so I, erm, dropped it," he stuttered. Then he shot me a horrified look and fled. What if he was listening at the door! He would have to be incredibly daft not to realize that I like him. True, I didn't declare my undying love for him, but I certainly didn't deny it! Oh merciful heavens…that's probably why he looked so horrified! The fact that I, a miserable book-worm with a giant bush of hair liked him, hilarious, adorable, keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

My feelings must have shown on my face, because Ginny looked suddenly worried.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Seeing that my gaze was directed at the corner her fleeing brother had disappeared around, she snorted. "Oh, I get it. You think he was eavesdropping on us. Probably was, but it's not like Ron's exactly the brainy type. I think your secret's safe." She patted my shoulder. Suddenly acutely aware that Lupin and Tonks were watching us with bemused smiles, I managed to stutter,

"W-wha? N-nooo. I have no idea what you're talking about!" As I was not exactly the picture of intelligence or sophistication at that moment, I think the two's smiles brightened even more! Drat them.

But all would be forgotten in a few hours when the hellish nightmare of dress-shopping began.

A/N: I know, it was an outrageously short chapter. But Ron's pov will be coming soon, so don't despair! If you care enough about this fic to despair, that is…Hope you enjoyed. R&R

KW