Author's Note

This chapter was nearly finished a week ago, but I didn't post until now, because a very dear friend of mine died, very suddenly, and far too soon, early this week. To say that I've been in a state of shock is putting it mildly. She was a wonderful person, and well on her way to becoming a wonderful writer, and she died far, far too young. But she was also my friend, and for that reason, I've decided to dedicate this fic, in its entirety, to Aerin. My friend.

Chapter Thirty

A few days after Harry and Ron got out of the Hospital Wing, Ginny sat down beside Hermione and started to wolf her food down. "If Dean asks," she said, "Tell him I wanted to ask Harry for help with Potions."

Hermione ignored the comment on Harry and said, "Do you actually need help?"

Ginny shook her head. "No – and don't start. I can't have another argument today."

"Another argument?"

Ginny shook her head. "You don't want to know. I told him I didn't want to go to Madam Puddifoots. I'd rather be drowned in Pygmy Puffs. And the thing that drives me nuts, he didn't say 'Okay, lets do something else' like any sane person would say, no it's 'what's wrong with you Ginny, that you don't want to go to Madam Puddifoots, why don't you like it when I treat you like you can't even open a door for yourself.' Honestly, you'd think there was something strange and unnatural about me the way he goes on."

Hermione waited to see if Ginny had finished. "So you're avoiding him," she said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, laughing. "Real mature, I know, but it's either avoid him or scratch his eyes out, and I just don't have the energy right now."

"Maybe you should scratch his eyes out," Hermione said, "Get it out of your system. I mean, not actually, but…"

"No," Ginny said emphatically. "See, when you and Ron fight you just end up fancying each other more; when Dean and I fight we just start to dislike each other. Anyway, let's not discuss the mess that is my love life."

Harry, who was approaching the table on Ginny's side, seemed to start at those words, so much so that he barely noticed Ginny smile at him as he sat down. Barely.

Hermione was resisting the urge to smile significantly at him, when Ron pulled her hair from behind. He seemed surprised that Ginny was there, and said, "What are you doing here?"

"I was talking to Hermione," Ginny said angrily, "But if you want me to go – "

"Don't." Harry said. "It's just a surprise. Don't you normally eat with Dean?"

Ginny winced at Dean's name and said, "Dean's not a Potions expert –"

"Nor is Harry," Hermione said, unable to help herself. Harry gave her a filthy look as Ginny said, "Got any tips for me?"

Harry grinned and said, "You can pick my brain later if you want."

Ginny shook her head. "You don't know what you're letting yourself in for, Harry – I actually might."

"It wouldn't be so bad," Harry said, sounding more confident than Hermione was used to.

Ron was either ignoring, or hadn't noticed, the way Harry and Ginny were interacting, for he merely swallowed a mouthful of pumpkin juice and said, "Worrying about your OWLs, are you? Remember, the twins set the bar nice and low."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Ginny said. "I'm sure Mum'll be really understanding when I tell her 'at least I did better than the twins'."

Ron rolled his eyes and said, "At least I tried. I won't bother if you're going to be moany."

Ginny scowled at him and said, "How's Lavender?"

Ron, hilariously, ducked as though expecting his girlfriend to leap at him any second, and Hermione gave into temptation, and kicked Ginny's shin under the table. Ginny yelped and said, "Anyway…I think Demelza's got a bit of a crush on Dean. Her passing's been a bit off, and she got by a Bludger twice yesterday."

Hermione rolled her eyes at this Quidditch talk, but Ron said, "Well, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Harry?"

Ron was totally innocent of any suggestiveness – Hermione was not. "Still having trouble concentrating, Harry?"

He caught the touch of wickedness in her tone, and seemed to be struggling to control a blush as he said, "Just a bit, yeah."

Ginny, who seemed baffled by all of this, said, "Well I don't blame you. Playing as Seeker is dead boring – I'd stare at the Chasers too."

"Yeah," Harry said, "The Chasers are the most interesting bit."

Hermione was trying to control the urge to laugh, when Ron said, "Doesn't it bother you about Demelza? Not worried he'll trade you in for a younger model?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Ron, I'm not going to explode with jealousy if he talks to another girl. Besides, I'd bet Demelza isn't even on his radar."

"How do you make that out?" Hermione said. She had a feeling it would do Harry good to hear this.

"Well," Ginny said, "She's two years younger than him, she gets all shy whenever he's around – she walked into a door last week, poor thing – and he's…a boy." She shrugged. "She'll find someone a bit more attainable. I just hope it's soon, 'cause she's a really good Chaser when she's on form."

Harry was staring fixedly at his plate, and taking pity on him, Hermione said, "How did you do on the Transfiguration essay?"

Ginny shuddered, and Ron said, "Don't start on about Transfiguration – are you trying to depress her?"

Hermione glared at him – it was so much fun to be able to glare at him again – and said, "Ginny's doing better at Transfiguration, I'll have you know."

"Yeah, well – she could hardly do worse," Ron said.

"I used to be good at it, before Mum traumatised me," Ginny said.

"What did you do?" Harry asked.

Ron grinned, "Oh it was brilliant," he said. "It was her first piece of magic."

Ginny shook her head. "The twins and Percy were having an argument about…about who could boss me around, basically, and I got angry and…well," she said, biting her lip, "I gave them carrots for fingers. Mum was furious."

"It was still brilliant," Ron said. "I wish someone had taken a photo."

"Yeah," Ginny said absently. She lifted Harry's wrist so she could look at his watch – meaning she couldn't see the way his face lit up the moment she touched him. "I should get going. I've to head down to Care, and I said I'd get Jules out of the library."

"How's she doing?" Hermione asked, remembering that she hadn't seen Ginny's tempestuous friend in some time.

"I think she's cracking up, to be honest," Ginny said. "She had a nightmare about the Arithmancy exam the other day. If you think I'm bad about Transfiguration… At least Louise is sane." She shook her head dramatically and waved at them all as she set off – and not a moment too soon, as Dean joined them a minute later.

Hermione barely saw Ginny over the next week or two, and whenever she did Ginny seemed on the verge of falling apart due to accumulated frustration. Hermione decided it was best to let things run their course – she might have suggested to Dean that being more solicitous towards Ginny wouldn't help matters, but that might have prolonged their relationship which, above all things, Hermione didn't want to do. It wasn't that Dean was a bad boyfriend or that he treated Ginny poorly, but it was increasingly clear that they were just an unfortunate match.

Ginny needed someone who respected her mile-wide independent streak. That didn't mean her boyfriend should let her walk all over him, but he should at least recognise that it was an engrained trait, that Ginny would never sacrifice it, for anyone. Thinking about Ginny's history, it wasn't hard to see how she'd come to be that way. Yes, it occasionally made her a little bratty, but the damage had been done years ago; Hermione was convinced Ginny clung so fiercely to her independence because it made her feel safe. She didn't want to be dependent on anyone.

It had taken Hermione nearly two years to realise this, but once she did, any number of things fell into place. She'd thought that Ginny was perfect for Harry ever since the she'd accompanied him on the Hogwarts Express at the start of Fifth Year, but she'd never been certain that Harry was perfect for Ginny. Yet when she saw him staring at Ginny while she told a joke or moaned about Transfiguration or teased Ron, Hermione realised something – Harry had seen Ginny at her worst.

Hermione didn't know what that worst had been, though she thought she'd caught glimpses of it over the years, but Harry had seen it. Ginny might be terrified of still being that frightened little girl in the Chamber, but Harry had seen her like that, and…forgotten it. In one way that was crushingly insensitive, but in another…Ginny didn't have to show him her strength of personality, because Harry assumed it. He'd always seen her that way. It was one of his more irritating personality traits that he assumed everyone was as sturdily and determinedly independent as he was, but it was a perfect fit for Ginny.

All this independence was wonderful of course, but it could be rather frustrating to deal with, as Hermione realised when Ginny came storming into the girls' bathroom shortly after Harry had gone down to visit Hagrid under the invisibility cloak. Ginny's eyes were sparkling and she seemed very excited, but she actually started when Hermione touched her shoulder and said, "What happened?"

Ginny tossed her head and laughed, "Nothing. Nothing has happened. Nothing at all."

"Right," Hermione said slowly. "I'm just avoiding Lavender – her and Ron got started a while ago."

"They did more than that," Ginny said. "But you know what Hermione? I don't have to hold hands with Dean ever again, I don't have to smile at him if I don't want to, I don't have to go to Madam Puddifoots, I don't have to have lunch with every single day, as though he's the only interesting person in the world, I don't have to do any of it. God," she added, sounding triumphant, "I'm so relieved."

"So, you broke up with him then?" Hermione said.

"Yeah!" Ginny said, laughing. "And I told him that if he ever tries to Portrait Hole again, I'll hex his hands off. Honestly, I told him, and told him, but he just kept doing it." She took a deep, satisfied breath and said, "You should have seen our fight, Hermione – it was glorious."

"Well," Hermione said, smiling herself, "As long as you're happy about it."

"Happy about it?" Ginny said. "I could fly."

"Okay then," Hermione said, going back to washing her hands.

"Anyway," Ginny said, "There are more important things than me and Dean."

Given Harry's feelings, Hermione thought this was rather unlikely – she couldn't wait to see his face when he heard – but she still asked Ginny dutifully, "What's more important?"

"Well," Ginny said, "Ron and Lavender broke up."

For a moment Hermione literally did not believe what Ginny had said, and she had to shake her head more than once, so she was certain of what she'd heard. "Are you serious?" she said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, grinning at her. "You should have seen the fireworks. Ron's downstairs – I think he's a bit shellshocked."

Hermione strangled the urge to race down to the Common Room and said, "Was he upset?"

"Oh," Ginny said, "I don't think so. What I think, is that you should go down to him."

Hermione bit her lip. She wanted to, more than anything, but she was horribly afraid. Yet again there was a chance for her and Ron – and yet again there was a chance it would go completely wrong.

Ginny must have seen the look on her face, for she pushed Hermione towards the door and said, "Trust me – you're the one he's waiting for."

A moment later Hermione was racing down the stairs.