A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed, I really appreciate! I love how so many of you went into the details that you liked best. That's the sort of thing that helps my writing the most. This chapter's a bit shorter, but the next one will more than make up for that.

Georgentosser - Thanks a lot for your review. It's nice to know that I'm writing a teenage boy well, considering I've not had the experience of being one ;)

hpgirl7777 - I am enjoying the fanfic "baby boom". I think it'll get a bit more interesting once sites start allowing new fics and I don't have to wade through for the good ones. Hope you like the update!

eckles - I'm glad that you like how Harry is second guessing everything. I completely agree that things will happen if it's meant to be. Unfortunately for Harry, Ginny is really "persuasive".

kitotterkat - I'm so happy that my update brightened your day. I hope this one does too. It sounds like you get exactly what I was going for with these stories, showing how the same thing can be different from other people's POV. I'm flattered that you think my writing is so in character, that's what I shoot for.

Frecklednproud - Glad you like it, thanks!

JKRobsessed - Haha, thanks for saying this fic is too good to be wasted. That made me smile

J.Rhaye - Spot on with your review as usual. I'm glad you liked how I portrayed Harry's inner conflict. It's a bit more challenging to write "stuck in the middle" situations. Thanks for the compliments.

cho-kaoru88 - Haha, glad you liked the similarities between my Harry and HBP Harry. It worked out rather nicely considering I wrote the last chapter before HBP even came out. I definitely think that there's going to be more H/G in book 7. We all know that Ginny will fight for what she wants.

The Sympathy Card vs. Ginny Weasley

I paced outside of the door to the hospital wing for about 10 minutes before I got up enough courage to go in. It looked surprisingly empty and for once I didn't see Madame Pomfrey bustling about. It suddenly occurred to me that I was rarely on this end of things when it came to visits to the infirmary. I was usually the one laying in bed unconscious.

I headed towards the line of beds and spotted Ron at the far end. He wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. Madame Pomfrey had probably given him a sleeping draught, I reasoned as I sat in the chair beside his bed. Maybe the allergy had been worse than I thought. That's why Hermione had still been in a state after potions. She'd probably visited Ron and...

"Are you gonna keep staring at me, or actually say something?"

I heard Ron's scratchy voice and realized that his eyes were opened and looking straight at me. I let out a sigh of relief.

"I should've known you weren't asleep when I didn't hear any snoring."

Ron let out a slight chuckle.

"You're lucky I'm stuck in bed right now Potter, or I'd get you back for that."

I smiled.

"How are you feeling?"

Ron leaned back against the headboard of the bed.

"Like I got hit by a few too many bludgers."

"Glad you're okay," I replied. Ron nodded.

"How'd the rest of Potions turn out?" he asked. "If I had to miss the last half hour of any class, I'm glad it was that one. Bad enough that I have to spend tonight with that git."

I cringed at the thought.

"Well, Hermione was in a right state," I finally said.

"Really?" Ron said with a wistful smile.

"You really care about her, don't you?" I asked.

Did I have a goofy smile like that when I thought about Ginny? I hoped not. Especially since I had as much of a chance with her as a house elf. She got over me ages ago and now we're just friends. Just friends. She jokes around with her other guy friends too. Teases them and maybe even flirts with them. I didn't want to examine why the feeling made me sick to my stomach.

Ron nodded in response to my question and put his hands behind his head.

He was lucky. It wasn't as if Hermione really had any other guy friends. Her penpal relationship with Viktor Krum didn't count. Ron didn't have any competition. Plus, Hermione loves him back.

I was jealous of them and they weren't even together yet. How sad is that?

I hadn't realized that the both of us had been silent for several minutes until Ron spoke up again.

"Hey Harry, get Ginny to lighten up, will you?"

"Huh?"

Ron yawned and laid back down.

"Just tell her to give me a break for a while. Be on my side. I don't know why she's this hacked off, but I'm really tired. Pull the sympathy card if you have to. Flirt with her or something, I don't care. I haven't been able to get any sleep lately..."

And with that, Ron closed his eyes and started snoring.

I don't know what Ginny said to Hermione, but she definitely seemed to be in a better mood as we entered the Great Hall for supper, although she did keep tossing worried glances in Ron's direction. That was to be expected though, I guess. Ron still did look rather pale. I wondered if he'd argued to get out of hospital early. It's what I would've done. I hate that place.

"Harry," Ginny whispered in my ear, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I said.

Ginny looked at me with a frown and I remembered that saying I was fine was probably as good as admitting that I'm brooding.

"I really am, I swear," I whispered. "I'm just a little worried about Ron, is all. He looks like he's going to faint."

"It'll be fine," Ginny whispered back as she touched my shoulder.

Before I could become too aware of Ginny's closeness, I noticed Hermione staring at us blatantly from across the table before turning to give Ron a frustrated look. He didn't notice, of course. He was too busy...not eating?

"So Harry," Ginny said cheerfully beside me, "Did you notice Hermione's rather good temperament for someone who's got a detention tonight?"

She grinned.

"Actually, I was going to ask about that. I'm rather impressed. What'd you say?"

"'Fraid I can't give away trade secrets, Harry," she teased. "Though it might've had something to do with the wonderful pep talk I gave her and the fact that I called her my future sister-in-law."

"I bet she loved that," I said, not quite believing that Ginny'd had the nerve to say it. Then again, Ginny's always been more outspoken then I would ever be.

"Actually, I think she hated it, but that's neither here nor there." Ginny waved the concern away with a flick of her wrist. "Now, tonight should hopefully be the end of a week of hard work."

I gave Ginny a warning glance when her volume started to rise and nodded in Ron's direction. She glared at me, but continued on in a whisper, leaning closer to me so that I could hear.

"And for all of that hard work, I believe that we should have a little celebration. What do you think Harry?"

I flushed. She couldn't know that she sounded seductive. It wasn't her fault that my mind had been running to the idea of kissing her more and more frequently these days. She'd probably just meant sneaking to the kitchens or something.

I cleared my throat.

"Sounds, er, sounds good."

I turned away from Ginny so that she wouldn't see me blush and unfortunately I looked over at Ron. He was frowning at Ginny and I. He'd wanted me to get Ginny to lighten up.

He'd said I should flirt with her.

"I swear," I heard Ron mutter, "Mum and dad should've stopped after me."

Ron had told me to flirt with Ginny.

I heard Ginny laugh and turned to look at her. Ginny's brown eyes were bright and her hands were firmly on the table. She looked amazing when she was fired up.

"Should've stopped after you Ron?" Ginny said, "And how would that've helped anyone? More like they should've skipped you. Probably would have if it were possible."

Hermione cast me a nervous look and I shrugged. I didn't know what to do. Hermione put her hand on Ron's arm and spoke up.

"Now, Ginny -"

"What, Hermione?" Ginny spit out. "Still defending this thick lout after all this time? I would've thought you of all people would've been at your wit's end -"

Ron shot up and I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Ginny was going a bit too far.

"Leave Hermione out of this! She has nothing to do with it."

"You're right," Ginny said as she stood up too. "If you're having an awful week it's your own fault and you deserve it." She smiled sweetly and I hoped, not for the first time, that I never got on Ginny Weasley's bad side. "Are you looking forward to your detention, dear brother?"

"You planned that too, didn't you?" Ron yelled as he leaned across the table. "I'm gonna owl mum!"

"Oh," Ginny responded as she leaned toward Ron, "That's big of you! Maybe I should owl mum and tell her why I did what I did?"

Ron gasped and I cringed. I really didn't want the entire school knowing what was going on.

"Ginny!" I hissed. "Not now."

I pulled on Ginny's arm and she sat down with a huff. I nodded at Hermione to do the same with Ron. Not that it did much good, of course. Ginny and Ron spent the entire meal glaring at each other and Hermione and I stumbled through a boring conversation about NEWTs.

A/N: I hope that all of you liked it! And if you'd like to read another new fic of mine, I just wrote a little oneshot between George Weasley and the girl from the paper shop called Almost Like Magic (you can get to it from my profile). It's the first time I've written a fic that's not H/G or R/Hr centric, so I'd love to get people's opinions on it. And, if anyone would like me to e-mail them when I update my stories, send my your e-mail, and I'll make sure I do. Thanks!