Just the guys.
This had been the best night Ron had spent at the Burrow in a while. He and Harry had just gotten back form Diagon Ally and it looked like they had escaped notice of their little Death Eater escapade. They were both laughing as they stepped into the Burrow and went upstairs to stow away the presents they had bought for everyone. Ron had even remembered to but two presents for both Hermione and the Grangers since they would open presents at the Grangers on Christmas Eve and then open them again at the Burrow on Christmas day.
Since Ginny had gone over to Luna's for the night Ron and Harry spent the evening flying around the Burrow and then sitting out by the lake talking. It had been bloody cold but they had spent a good while just relaxing and laughing about the things all teenage boys laugh about.
"So how are you and Hermione really doing?" Harry ventured after they had been sitting in silence for a bit.
"Really well I think, I am a bit thick when it comes to women you know."
"She certainly seems to be happy and that's a very good sign at least."
Ron smiled for a moment and then leaned over a bit and said in a lowered tone 'Do you ever find yourself just a tiny bit scared of Hermione, Ginny or Luna?"
Harry laughed "Well Ginny for certain and yeah Hermione as well but never Luna, why do you ask?"
"Well I have been thinking about that book I bought Hermione for Christmas and it made me wonder a bit. the very little I saw as a flipped through it seemed to suggest that there was a women's magic that men weren't very good at. Now at first I thought it was probably a lot of Codswallop but I'm beginning to think that there might be something to it."
"Harry frown at the idea "How so?"
"I might be wrong but I find that I do my best practicing for magic alone or with a mate but I have noticed that all the girls seem to learn faster when they are around each other. Remember last year when we were learning about ritual magics that require a few people working together to cast? Well I talked to Luna right after that class and she said that there used to be groups of witches that gathered regularly to do just that kind of magic but then the men got frightened by it and started to try and make them stop."
"You talked to Luna last year?" Harry snickered.
"Yeah that was right before she started showing up all the time. I caught the Slytherins bugging her a few time and made them shove off. After that we would talk from time to time when you and Hermione were off doing something else. I know she seems a bit odd" Ron looked pointedly at Harry "But she one of the nicest people in the world and I can't help but think she's going to be a might powerful witch before it's all over."
"You are talking about Loony Lovegood right?" the disbelief etched on Harry's face.
A flash of anger shot across Ron's face but it passed quickly. "I don't think we should call her that anymore after the Department of Mysteries. Yeah I know I used to be the one who called her that the most but I didn't know how people treated her then. She's been too good to us for us to keep calling her that even if we don't mean anything by it."
"Your right mate she has been a good friend."
"Not only that but Neville has become quite protective of her, Harry. A couple of days ago we were coming back from Directed Studies when we came across some of the Slytherins giving her a hard time. I started to go tell them off when Neville grabbed my arm and told me he was glad that I would stick up for Luna but it was his job now."
Harry looked a bit shocked but then smiled "Bloody good for Neville."
"It's more than just that too Harry, it's like having Luna was the last piece of the puzzle that he needed to believe he could really be somebody. If you're not careful you're going to have some competition in the hero department."
"I already do." Harry replied very softly with a huge smile. Ron however had turned to the side for a moment then turned back to Harry and tossed something to him.
Harry grabbed it out of the air with the certain reflexes of a born Seeker. The he grinned and unwrapped the chocolate frog and relished the sweet taste in his mouth.
Almost as sweet as Ginny, though I think I won't tell Ron that.
"Are you still nervous about going to Hermione's house?"
"No I'm not nervous, I'm bloody well terrified."
"Don't worry about it mate, I mean the granger's have been perfectly nice the other times we've met them."
"Sure but that was before I was dating their only daughter. After that kiss at King's Cross her dad may just decide to kill me."
At that Harry did laugh "I have to admit it was funny to see Hermione kiss you like that in public."
Ron's smiled for a moment then got very serious "Hermione has a different side to her than I had seen before this year Harry. Once she is confident in her knowledge of something she can be very persuasive about it. I know that we are the ones that always end up fighting Death Eaters but I think she is going to end up so much more powerful than us it scares me a little."
"Well at least she loves us both. Well until you screw up that is." Harry said as seriously as he could manage while wanting to laugh at the look on Ron's face.