Setting: Middle of Chapter 21, "After the Burial." Harry has taken the Felix Felicis, and is off getting the memory.

A Good Night

Hermione was tucked into the big armchair in the corner. She had a perfect view of the entire common room, but her eyes weren't roaming. Ron and that girl were fighting by the staircases, and she saw nothing else.

If only she could hear them. She had a vested interest in the outcome of this argument.

Oh, dear lord. Hermione was prepared to give Seamus exactly five seconds to move his gigantic head from her view. She'd curse him to high heaven if she missed The Break Up because he was—oh. Oh dear, he was talking to a rather upset Dean. Hadn't Dean just been talking to Ginny, though?

Praise be, Seamus had finally moved. Lavender was now pointing her finger in Ron's face and, for reasons beyond Hermione's impressive mental capacities, hissing. It wasn't pretty.

Ginny appeared and jerked her head toward the fighting couple. "Tense night, eh?"

"So it seems," Hermione muttered. "They've been going at it for—wait a minute. You're talking to me now?" They'd exchanged little more than superficial pleasantries since their fight. Hermione had apologized a few times, but she wasn't sure Ginny had quite forgiven her yet.

Ginny leaned against the wall next to Hermione. "I'm bored of being mad at you."

Hermione tore her eyes away from Ron and Lavender (who had thankfully stopped hissing) and faced Ginny. "I hate being mad at you. And I am sorry. I wasn't very nice about it."

Ginny shrugged. "It's okay. I shouldn't have pried."

Hermione would have replied, she really would have, but Ron was about to lose his temper. He was rocking from foot to foot and his entire face was bright red. He seemed to be chewing his tongue.

Ginny noticed her friend's distraction. She smiled. "They're over, aren't they?"

"I know that, and you know that—Merlin, I think even Ron knows that," Hermione said, "but I don't think Lavender's realized it yet. Herhand is still on his shoulder."

"She's a very possessive girl."

"So I've noticed."

"I can't believe Ron hasn't exploded yet."

"He's close," Hermione said. "See how he's shifting his weight? He's gearing up."

"He's what?"

"Gearing up. Getting ready to yell a bit. Oh, and he took his hands out of his pockets. Yes, he's about to explode."

"You seem to know what you're talking about here, Hermione," Ginny teased.

"Experience is a wonderful teacher."

They waited for the row to get ugly. They waited for him to yell. Instead, Lavender started crying.

"That little b—"

"Hermione!"

"Calm down, Ginny, I was only going to say baby."

"Oh. I knew that."

"Do those look real to you?"

"I'm sorry?'

"Her tears, Ginny," Hermione said impatiently, "don't they look a little fake?"

"Either way, it was a brilliant move on her part. Look how shook up he is. No way he's yelling at her now."

"That little sneak."

"He's not actually trying to comfort her, is he? Oh, no. This is going to end badly."

"I can't watch anymore." Hermione craned her neck to get a better view. "Why won't they just end it?"

"Don't worry, Hermione. It's only a matter of time before he says something stupid and she gives up on him."

Hermione nodded her agreement.

They smiled to each other when Lavender shoved him away suddenly and started yelling. Most of it was an unintelligible squeal, but the words "second choice," "replacement," and "liar" were distinguishable.

"They're talking about you," Ginny said.

"Maybe."

"No, it's a definite. I just heard her say 'frizzy-haired know-it-all.'"

"Now that's just uncalled for," Hermione huffed. "I don't call her a limp-haired simpleton."

"You don't?"

"Well, not loud enough for her to hear, at least."

Ginny laughed.

Ron had his arms crossed in front of him and was glaring at Lavender. He seemed to be waiting for a chance to speak. Lavender took his silence as a sign to keep yelling.

"Ron, you idiot," Ginny sighed. "Has he learned nothing from Mum? You never let them get into stride. There'll be no stopping her now."

"I think we're going to be here awhile."

"Care to make it interesting?"

"How so?"

"Four knuts says she slaps him before the night is over."

Hermione answered without looking away from Ron and Lavender. "I'm a prefect, Ginny. I can't place a bet."

"Has anyone specifically told you it wasn't allowed?"

Startled, she turned to face Ginny. "Actually, they haven't."

"Did Hogwarts, A History explain why it was forbidden?"

"No, but the version I have is highly selective. Do you know that not once,in over a thousand pages, is there a reference to the plight of the house elves?"

"Tragic. Returning to the topic at hand, though, do you think she will slap him?"

Hermione studied Lavender for a moment. That girl wasn't yelling quite as loudly as before, and she was visibly struggling not to cry. "No," Hermione said, "I don't think she'll slap him. She's admitted her defeat."

"She's about to cry. That means she's getting desperate and will definitely slap him. You gonna take the bet, Hermione?"

"I'm older than you. Why are you the one corrupting me?"

"So the bet's on?"

"Yeah," Hermione grumbled, "the bet's on."

Ginny grinned. "Excellent. Prepare to lose four knuts."

Hermione nodded distractedly. Ron and Lavender were locked in a staring contest. That girl asked him something, he shook his head and she went up the stairs.

"Huh."

Hermione smiled.

"That was anticlimactic."

"You owe me four knuts," Hermione said.

"I can't believe she didn't slap him."

"It's my lucky night."

"I'll say," Ginny agreed. "You realize Ron's staring at you, right?"

"I do."

"And you know you're staring at him, right?"

"I do."

Ginny fought back a laugh. "Then what are you doing over here with me? Go talk to him."

"And say what, exactly?" Hermione asked with just a touch of panic.

"Right. This has gone on long enough. I'm the one who sent him running to her, and I'm the one who's going to get you two together."

And before Hermione could react, Ginny was gone. She watched in horror as Ginny marched over to Ron and had a quick whispered conversation. His face changed from angry to puzzled to thrilled to nervous in a matter of seconds. Finally, he shrugged and turned to walk up to his dormitory. Before he left, though, he caught Hermione's eyes and quirked a nervous grin. Hermione smiled back.

Ginny marched back and stood in front of Hermione's chair. "I sort of told another of your secrets, Hermione. And I'm not the least bit sorry."

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes. Now go talk to him."

"Tell me you didn't tell him I fancy him," Hermione begged.

"Hermione," Ginny chastised. "I would never do that."

"Thank God."

"I told him you loved him."

"What!"

"Well, kind of."

"Oh, my God. Oh—my—God."

"Hermione, calm down."

"Calm down, Ginny? You want me to calm down? You just told Ron I loved him."

"So? You do."

"Oh, my God. Ginny, you need to stop doing my job."

"What d'you mean?"

"I was going to be his first kiss, Ginny, until you opened your big mouth. It was going to be the first relationship for both of us—we were on the way, I know it—and you took that from me. And now you've told him I love him? God, Ginny, are you going to let me actually go on a date with him, are have you already asked him out?"

"Ew, don't put such images in my head."

"Focus, Ginny. What exactly did you tell him?"

"Alright, alright. I told him that you were jealous of Lavender, and that he should put the pieces together."

"Oh. Well, that's okay, I guess."

"But then he just looked confused, so I decided to be a little clearer," Ginny continued.

"Oh, no."

"I told him that it was obvious, to any careful observer, that you fancied him, and that I, for one, suspected you even loved him."

"But you didn't flat out tell him I loved him?"

"No, I didn't," Ginny smiled. "That's your job, apparently."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at her.

"Mature, Hermione. Now get going. He's waiting for you."

Hermione bit her lip. God, it was tempting to run up that staircase. But she couldn't abandon Ginny, not after something had so obviously happened with Dean. Merlin, why did everything have to happen at the same time?

"Wait, Ginny, sit down." Hermione gestured to the footrest in front of her. "He's kept me waiting for months; it's his turn to wait for me. I want to ask you something."

Ginny sat.

"I saw Dean earlier, and he didn't look happy. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, that. Dean-the-giant-prat is so annoying sometimes."

"I see you kept the nickname," Hermione laughed.

"Well, of course," Ginny said. "Didn't do much for the relationship, might I add, but it certainly was fitting."

"You're talking in the past tense. Did you guys break up?"

"Yeah, Dean-the-giant-prat pushed me, so I broke up with him."

"He pushed you? Oh, he's going to regret that." Hermione reached for her wand. "I know some rather effective curses, Ginny, don't you worry. Dean'll be sorry he ever even looked at you."

"Hermione, calm down. Merlin, when did you turn into Ron? I don't mean like that. He just wouldn't stop helping me through the portrait hole. It's bloody annoying."

"You broke up with him because he helped you through the portrait hole like a proper gentleman," Hermione said slowly as she lowered her wand.

"Well, when you say it like that I sound like an idiot."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Better than fine, actually. I'm kind of glad it's over with." Ginny paused. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"No, of course not."

"Dean didn't seem too glad about it."

"Don't worry about it. I saw Seamus talking to him earlier. I'm sure they're happily abusing you now, and that Dean will be fine tomorrow."

"I hope so," Ginny said. "I really never meant to hurt him."

"I know you didn't."

"Enough about me, though. You have to go talk to Ron."

"But what do I say?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know."

"Why did you have to tell him anything? Now it'll be awkward."

Ginny sighed. "Hermione, go talk to him."

"But—"

"Hermione, listen to me. It'll be awkward and difficult and scary, but it'll end well. Hell, maybe you guys'll even have a proper snog."

Hermione looked terrified. "What? Oh, dear God, tonight? Right now?"

"Or maybe not, Hermione. Either way, though, you need to talk to him."

"Well, he better not be expecting anything, the pig. He just got rid of Lavender. What kind of girl does he think I am?"

"Hermione, you know it's nothing like that."

Hermione took a deep breath and collected herself. "I know. I know that." Another deep breath. "Okay, I'm calm now."

"Good."

"Still a little nervous, though."

"That's okay."

Hermione nodded. "I'll just go talk to him now."

"Good luck, Hermione."

She gave a strange little laugh. "I'm all set there. You still owe me four knuts."

"I can't believe she didn't slap him."

"Why? Did you slap Dean?" Hermione asked.

"Are you kidding me?"

"I didn't think so. Are you sure you're okay with everything, though? You were with Dean for long time."

"Too long, really. Don't worry about me, Hermione," Ginny said. "I'll be fine."

"Of course you will." Hermione stood up to leave. "I'll make sure to tell Harry the good news."

"What?"

"Please, Ginny, did you really think I would keep this piece of information to myself?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd go running off to Harry," Ginny grumbled. She paused. "You know what, though? Tell him. I'd like him to know."

"Excellent. I'll tell him tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"This is a good night. I'm glad you're talking to me again," Hermione said.

"Me, too. Now get going."

Hermione nodded, patted her hair and left. Ginny took her chair and watched Dean rant to Seamus by the fireplace. She smiled. It was a good night.

xxxxx

xxxxx

To the readers: Thanks!

To the reviewers: Thank you so very much!

To everyone: Next chapter should be up soon. It's finished. It just needs a little reworking and editing.