Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, locations, or other creations discovered by Jo.

Chapter 4

Ginny came bounding down the stairs with two Extendable Ears for Harry and herself. She quickly jumped onto the sofa next to him, seemly without thinking causing his heart to flutter in his chest.

"We shouldn't go right next to the door in case one of them storms out or something," Ginny said logically handing an ear to him.

They each plugged the end of their respective Extendable Ears into their ears while slowly slinking it under the door. Harry was expecting there to be sound magnified magically into his ear but heard only silence. He looked at Ginny puzzled but she only shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips.

The first sounds Harry heard were those of Ron's footsteps. The sound of a chair being pulled out from under the table could be heard as Ron sat down. He coughed awkwardly.

"Look, Hermione, I-" he began.

"I don't want you to apologize unless you mean it," Hermione cut in coldly.

Silence.

"Who says I was going to apologize?" Ron replied in the same cold tone.

Harry glanced at Ginny who rolled her eyes.

Hermione snorted. "Oh really Ronald, what did you come to tell me then?"

"I-err-well," Ron stumbled.

Harry imagined that Ron's face would be turning red quickly. He bit the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from laughing.

"Well?" Hermione asked testily.

"Err, well I was going to apologize," he mumbled.

Hermione coughed.

"But now I'm not so sure," he finished sarcastically.

A moment's silence ensued before-

"Really Ronald, you are the biggest prat I have ever had the misfortune to meet!" Hermione sneered.

In unison, Harry and Ginny fell back in the sofa and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Really, I'm surprised Hermione fell for this oaf. He really doesn't think, my brother, does he?" Ginny said to Harry.

"Well, he really doesn't have the best tact, but Ron's got-erm-personality." Harry finished as an eruption of sound came from the kitchen.

"Well it's not my fault that you're too high and mighty to accept a simple apology and understand that it's not uncommon for people to make mistakes! Especially me!" Ron shouted.

"You think this is my fault? Honestly Ronald, you've put me through so much in these past few years, I wonder if you do these things on purpose!" she returned slightly quieter than Ron.

"What are you talking about?" Ron snapped.

"Oh don't get even get me started Ronald! Do you have any idea what you've put me through since the day I met you."

There was a silence as this accusation was processed.

"I-what-that's- you-" he spluttered.

Harry heard the sounds of Hermione standing up.

"Year one," Hermione hissed, "You make fun of me constantly to the point where I can't take it anymore and break down, and I get attacked by a mountain troll. All I ever did was try to be friends with you and Harry."

Ron suddenly found his voice.

"It's not my fault you were obnoxious. Besides that was when we were eleven."

"I was twelve," Hermione corrected.

"Okay, you were twelve. The point is we were kids. I was immature, I get it." Ron retorted.

"You were immature. Ron, you still have a lot to learn. You want more recent events? Fine I'll skip over third year when you didn't talk to me for weeks for no reason. I'll skip fourth year and the Yule Ball too. You want recent? Let's talk about sixth year. During our sixth year I asked to Slughorn's Christmas party. I-well I did some other things too that you obviously don't know about-"

Harry laughed as he recalled Hermione Confunding McLaggen as well as the extra help she gave Ron with his homework.

"And what did you do?" Hermione asked accusingly.

A sound that sounded like the last croak of a dying frog escaped from the back of Ron's throat.

"I'm sorry what did you say?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"These two will never change," Harry mumbled.

"I know," Ginny moaned exasperated.

"I, well, I had good reason to do what I did!" Ron retorted weakly.

"Oh really Ronald, please do tell." Hermione replied.

Ron's reply sounded as though he knew this conversation was not going the way he had planned it.

"Look, it really doesn't matter anymore because I know I was wrong and-"

"Doesn't matter?" Hermione whispered dangerously quiet. "Doesn't matter? Maybe to you it doesn't matter. Maybe you don't think anything of it. But me? I spent weeks wondering what I could have possibly done wrong to make you-to make you so angry that you just went and pulled a stunt like that!"

"Do you really want to know?" Ron asked glumly.

"Yes Ronald, as I said before, do tell."

"IdiditbecauseIwasjealousyoukissedKrum." Ron strung together.

"Sorry?" Hermione said.

"I said that I did it because I was jealous that you kissed Viktor Krum. At that point I was the only one who hadn't kissed anyone and I realized that you kissed him and something inside me sort of exploded." he told her.

There was a short silence before Hermione replied.

"Are you serious?" Hermione inquired.

"Err…yeah," Ron replied stupidly.

"Ron," Hermione started in a sort of forced tone of kindness. Apparently she had remembered Harry's advice to cut him some slack. "How could you possibly be jealous of Viktor when I spend every day with you?"

Ron did not immediately respond.

"Well, obviously I can't be jealous anymore."

Harry had not expected this response.

"Look, Hermione, I know I've been a right foul git over these past few years, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I walked out on you and Harry on the search for the Horcruxes. I'm sorry that I dated Lavender bloody Brown. I'm sorrier than you'll ever know. Obviously I'm an idiot who will always make mistakes. One thing I'm sure about is that I don't want to lose you again." Ron said firmly.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other with their jaws hanging open.

"Bloody hell!" Harry said shocked.

"Where did my brother go?" Ginny asked in mock concern.

Hermione still had not responded by the time Harry and Ginny had gotten over the shock of Ron's new found "tact" enough to pay attention to conversation again.

"Ron I'm touched," she said through a forced snigger, "but you'll have to do better than that to win back my affection. But I accept your apology if that's what you're looking for."

"Really?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Only if you truly mean it," she said still speaking in a forced mixture of frustration and amusement.

"That's brilliant!" Ron replied in triumph.

"Really Harry, did you teach my brother some maturity on this…err…Horcrux hunt?" Ginny asked.

"I didn't teach him anything. He learned this by himself, shockingly, on the Horcrux hunt." Harry returned.

Ginny looked ready to question him about the journey that he, Ron, and Hermione had participated in but there was suddenly more conversation that could be heard from the kitchen.

"Anything else you'd like to talk about Ronald?" Hermione asked in an eerily calm tone.

"I can't believe Hermione is over this that easily. I reckon she's softened up a bit," Ginny said disbelievingly.

"Well with all the near death experiences last year-" Harry began but decided to stop at the expression on Ginny's face. He then resolved the problem temporarily by pointing at the Extendable Ear and pressing a finger to his mouth.

"Actually yeah there is," Ron answered. "I was wondering what your plans were for Australia?"

"I-well-" Hermione started. She seemed taken aback by Ron's sudden interest in her family life. "Well I haven't really planned it out but I'd like to go and get them soon."

"Because, well if you don't mind I'd like to go with you," Ron said awkwardly.

"Ron's that's really sweet but I don't think you'd really want to come. I'm going to have to take my parents back by a muggle means – an airplane- and my dad can get a little overprotective sometimes." Hermione reasoned.

"Oh, well, if you don't want me to come I won't but-" he said disheartened.

"Ron, don't be stupid. Of course I'd love you to come but I just don't think you'd really enjoy yourself much. If you want to come by all means do so I'm just saying it's going to be really boring."

"Hermione I want to come with you. You don't have to do this alone this time." Ron replied.

"Ron, I-"

But Hermione didn't get to finish what she was going to say. There was a muffled sound and then a silence that lasted unusually long.

"No!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Harry asked her stupidly.

Ginny looked at him with an expressionthat said are you seriously that dumb?

"What do you think just happened? Hermione's gone soft on me! They're snogging for Merlin's sake!" Ginny said harshly.

Harry laughed.

"What's so funny?" asked Ginny.

"You know this is the perfect opportunity for payback," he sniggered.

Ginny donned a wicked grin and jumped to her feet. "You're right! This is perfect! What are we waiting for? Oh, Ron is going to get it for walking in on us last year" At these words Ginny's ears began to glow.

"Erm, yeah, too bad we don't have a camera. We're not that mean though," Harry contemplated trying to change the subject.

"Actually I do have one upstairs in my room," Ginny said with an even wickeder grin.

"I was only joking!" Harry said alarmed as he wrapped up his Extendable Ear and put it into his pocket. "Not that I wouldn't mind doing that to Ron, but Hermione doesn't deserve that!"

"I suppose you're right," Ginny said deflated. "Come on, let's go before we miss our opportunity!" she said grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.

Harry quickly jumped to his feet but remained there only momentarily. In his rush to accommodate Ginny's wishes he lost his balance and fell to the ground taking Ginny with him. The position he found himself in was an awkward one. Ginny was lying on her back facing upward. Harry found himself above her face to face.

"Sorry I just erm-"

"Tripped," Ginny finished for him. She was breathless. Harry realized that he was too.

"Here let me just," Harry said trying to force his limbs to stand up. He found that all efforts proved impossible. Ginny's gazed seemed to have a hold on him. He found that he was slowly leaning down when they were rudely interrupted.

The door to the sitting from the kitchen banged open.

"What the bloody hell was that?!" Ron nearly shouted. "It shook the whole damn house!"

His attention was immediately pointed to his best mate lying on top of his baby sister on the floor. "And just what do you think you two are doing?" He asked rudely.

Harry laughed ignoring Ron's question and still looking at Ginny.

"Looks like we were interrupted again," he said with a grin.

"I guess that's what you get whenever you try to seek revenge," Ginny replied reflecting Harry's grin.

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A/N: I just updated this chapter with a few grammar mistakes I missed the first time around. I'm having some serious writer's block but I haven't forgotten this story, don't worry!