Harry and Ginny sat on the grass near the bottom of the garden, sheltered from the heat in the shade of a large old tree. Their quiet enjoyment of each other was interrupted by the appearance of Ron. Harry attempted to ignore him, but Ginny, now aware of his intentions, rose herself from Harry's lap, much to his annoyance, and disappeared into the house, under the context of getting something to drink.
Finally Harry was forced to acknowledge Ron's presence, "What?" he said sharply, not looking at him but playing with a piece of grass between his fingers.
Ron stared down at the ground, and scuffed it with his feet, muttering something unintelligible, and looking for all the world like a naughty schoolboy talking to an angry teacher.
"What was that?" Harry scowled, he could see Ginny watching them from the kitchen window, and knew she wouldn't come back until the conversation was finished.
"Sorry, mate." Ron said, just loud enough to be heard.
Harry's expression softened, "Thanks."
Ron forced himself to look up, "So we ok then?"
Harry grinned, "Yeah,"
"Good, 'cos that 'CD player' stopped working and I can't figure out why…I thought charming it to change CD's automatically would help…."
"Probably wasn't such a good idea. But before I try and fix it, Ginny says there's someone else you need to apologise to."
Harry glanced at Ginny's bedroom window, where he could see Hermione watching them. Ron looked puzzled, "Who?"
Harry shook his head and laughed at Ron's obliviousness, something he was ready to hit him for the previous day. "Well let's just say that calling girls you like swots probably isn't the best way of persuading them to go out with you." he made a gesture at Ginny's bedroom window, Hermione ducked out of view as both boys looked at her.
"How did you know I liked her?"
"I told him." Ginny joined them again, slipping her arm around Harry's waist, and looking at Ron in a way that almost dared him to protest. He didn't dare.
"Well…" Ron said, looking terrified at the very thought of apologising, "I suppose, I should probably say something."
When he entered Ginny's bedroom, Hermione was reading a book, and pretending she hadn't been waiting for him.
"What?" she said, in the same manner Harry had a few moments earlier.
Ron took a step forward as she put the book down on the floor next to her, "I'm sorry for calling you a swot and a know-it-all and for saying that you had a big nose because it's not actually that big in fact it's a pretty average size, not that you have an average nose in fact I'd say it was above average when compared to most girls noses."
Hermione raised her eyebrows as Ron instantly regretted everything he'd just said. It wasn't nearly as smooth or tactful as the speech he'd prepared on the way upstairs. "I'm sorry too Ron." she said, getting to her feet and leaning against the wall behind her.
"Er, ok then." Ron hesitated, "I'll go then." he turned to walk out of the room but Hermione stopped him.
"Ron?" she said, and he turned a little more eagerly than he would of liked, taking a few more steps into the room, "All that stuff I said about you and Harry, Ron…how you hate him because he's the centre of attention…I'm especially sorry about that, I know it isn't true…"
"Don't worry about it."
They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Ron felt compelled to break the awkward silence and picked up the Harry Potter action figure lying on Ginny's bed, she'd been playing with it earlier. It said, "I have a lightning shaped scar!"
Hermione walked forward to take it from him, "I was a little bored earlier, so I enchanted it to say 'Ow!' when you hit it on the head. Ginny said that was too tame though, so now it says…." She tapped the doll on the head, it said,
"Ow! Gerroff me you bastard!"
Ron laughed, "Yeah, that sounds more like Harry."
"No Ron, that sounds more like you."
She handed the doll back to him, and suddenly became horribly self-conscious of the fact that they were standing much closer than was necessary. She attempted to back away but was stopped by Ron's hand on her elbow, "Hermione…"
"Ron, do you really have a picture of me at the Yule Ball under your pillow?"
Ron did not answer, instead he grabbed Hermione's mouth with his own, pulling her into a rough kiss. The action figure dropped to the floor.