A/N: Replies to review question at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write!

Chapter 19 – This Complicates Things

Ginny watched Hermione leave, a smile tugging on her lips but not for the reason that her friend thought.

She smirked and looked down at her hand where she held a flask of Hermione's potion. Quickly she changed into Hermione's boys uniform hesitated as she looked at the strange liquid before taking a sip.

It tasted like metal and was cold as it slid down her throat.

"Eww, gross."

Ginny started. That was definitely not her voice. She went over to her mirror and laughed nervously when she saw John looking back at her.

She shook her head and quickly regained her train of thought.

"Okay big brother, you better be able to have a good explanation for this," Ginny said, "Oh no."

Ginny looked in the mirror again and realized that she looked and sounded like herself again. She frowned and looked down at the small flask.

"I guess that's best, I should wait till I'm outside the girl's dormitory before walking down into the common room."

An image of Lavender running over and kissing her made her want to puke.

As fast as she could she switched back into her girls uniform and shoved Hermione's clothes in a small bag before running down the stairs.

"This looks safe enough," Ginny said to herself pushing open the door to an empty classroom before stepping inside.

She considered the flask again, shrugged, and drank the rest of the potion.

"Much better," she smiled looking down at her more masculine hands.

She walked over to the door of the classroom. She double checked it was locked before placing a hand on the wooden door.

"I need to be at Hogwarts Boys," she said softly imagining an image of Harry and Ron in her mind.

She felt something tingle beneath her fingers and knew that it had worked. Tentatively she stepped out of the classroom, looked around and sighed when she saw a few boys walking down the hall.

Ginny frowned. She had spent the last few minutes lost before remembering that everything at Hogwarts Boys was in the opposite direction to Hogwarts Girls. Sighing in annoyance she trudged up the staircase to the Boys common room.

She saw someone standing near the entrance.

"Harry?!" she said in surprise.

'Wow, he looks cute when he's frowning like that. Gah! Shut up!' Ginny mentally kicked that part of her brain that sometimes had a knee-jerk reaction to being around Harry.

"Hello John," Harry replied still frowning – no glaring at her.

She raised her eyebrows in shock at his tone.

'Wow, you really do hate John don't you?'

"What are you doing here?" she asked him not missing the Marauders Map sticking out of his pocket.

"Why would a Gryffindor be standing outside the Gryffindor Common room? Gee let me think," he replied sarcastically.

'That's the best you can do?' Ginny thought in amusement, 'Come on Potter, where's that irratic temper I know so well?'

She knew she had to reply soon because he was glaring at her again.

"Okay, okay, no need to get so touchy. I'm looking for Ron," Ginny added she really did need to find her brother before Hermione realized she had disappeared with her clothes and her identity – her secret identity that is.

"You have some nerve," Harry's voice broke her train of thought and she looked up at him curiously.

"Excuse me?" she said genuinely confused.

"No one treats my best friend like that and gets away with it," Harry seethed and she saw him take a threatening step towards her.

'There's that temper,' Ginny thought to herself smiling, 'You really care about my big brother don't you? Well you're just a big old softy Potter. Uh oh.'

Ginny didn't know what happened, one minute she was standing in front of Harry and the next her feet were elevated off the ground and now her head hurt.

"Get that stupid smirk off your face!"

"Ow! Bloody hell Potter," Ginny said in annoyance rubbing her head and checking she wasn't bleeding.

She stumbled when Harry released her and she dropped back onto the ground from her position on the wall.

"Wh-what did you just – "

Ginny looked up at Harry's wide eyes.

"Huh?"

'Not good,' Ginny realized looking down at her arms and the now too loose clothes.

"Darn, I should have asked her how much to take," Ginny mused pushing the sleeves up her elbows.

She looked up to see Harry gaping at her, his expression reminded her of a fish gasping for air. She jumped when she saw the portrait of the fat lady swing open.

She heard Harry curse under his breath before pushing her against the wall behind a nearby pillar. He looked out from the shadows and watched the person scrambling out of the common room.

Ginny meanwhile was squished between the very small space between the column and the wall, and Harry wasn't helping leaning back into her.

Ginny rested her head on his back and tried to calm her racing heart. She found herself closing her eyes and reveling in the feel of Harry's broad shoulders. A smile crept onto her face.

'Oh shut up,' she told the rational part of her mind, 'How often am I gonna get this opportunity?'

Again she heard Harry curse a few words under his breath and too soon his back and the rest of him was gone. He had stepped out of the shadows and she saw him walking over to the boy placing something on the ground.

"Little help there?"

The first year started and dropped the boxes in his hands.

"Past curfew you know, you should be in bed or doing homework," Harry said in an almost bored voice.

"Y-yes Mr Potter sir," the boys stuttered turning around and trying to escape back into the common room.

"Hold it," Harry's stern voice made the boy freeze mid step, "Where did you get this?"

Ginny saw Harry lift up the box before he raised his eyebrows at the boy.

"Weasleys Wizard Wheezes," the boy said guiltily looking down at his feet.

"You're lucky I'm not a teacher or a Prefect," Harry scolded the boy, "Get out of here – now!"

The boy disappeared instantly.

"Bit power hungry aren't you Potter," Ginny laughed stepping out of the shadows.

She saw Harry stiffen at her words. Slowly he turned around to look at her.

"Alright you, explain."

"Oh Ginny you were right, I feel much better now that…I've…" Hermione trailed off and she felt her heart spasm.

"Uh, hello," Harry smiled shyly at her waving awkwardly.

Hermione closed the door to Ginny's dorm room but her eyes remained glued on Harry's.

"Hello," Hermione brain went a million miles a minute, "Um, it's Harry right?"

"Hermione," Ginny finally spoke from her seat on the bed, "Harry knows."

Again Hermione felt her heart spasm.

"What do you mean?" Hermione heard her voice come out in a whisper.

"He knows that you're John," Ginny replied looking at her guiltily.

She tried her best not to just scream.

"I trusted you," she stared at Ginny in disbelief.

"It was an accident," Ginny tried to explain quickly, "I went to the boys…"

"You did what?!" Hermione grabbed onto the nearby bedpost for support and she stared at her friend wide-eyed, "Did Ron –"

"No. He didn't see me, I ran into Harry…" Ginny voice trailed off.

'I need Ron!'

Hermione started at when the voice inside her head literally screamed at her. She felt herself begin to shake uncontrollably. Hermione felt her legs give way and she slid down to the floor still clutching onto the bedpost.

'Ron would make it all better.'

Ginny watched Hermione in concern.

"Do you plan on telling Ron?" Harry questioned suddenly.

"Harry," Ginny began looking at him.

"A girl moment?" he interpreted from the look she was giving him.

"Really is," Ginny replied.

"Right…well."

Without another word Harry turned and walked over to other side of the room and looked determinedly interested at the array of cosmetics and cooking books stacked near Ginny's desk.

Ginny approached Hermione slowly before sitting down.

"Hermione I'm worried," she said slowly.

She heard Hermione laugh and it sent chills through her.

"I am too," Hermione replied, "It's not healthy is it."

"No, it's not."

"I should just sever all ties completely," Hermione nodded her head.

"What? No!" Ginny said in alarm.

"It's not healthy for me to be this obsessed with him. I mean he's a nice guy and he makes me laugh…" a gentle smile spread across Hermione's face before she continued, "But, it's not healthy to be so dependent on another person."

Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath.

"You have got the be the most insane person I have ever met," Ginny quickly continued when she realised that Hermione might interpret her words the wrong way, "You can't honestly believe that you don't deserve to be loved, and most importantly of all you can't be so blind as to think that my brother doesn't care about you as much as you do about him."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he needs you just as much as you need him," Harry cut in.

"Harry," Ginny turned and glared at him for eaves dropping, although he did raise a good point.

"Sorry," he raised his hands up as though to retreat back to the corner but Ginny motioned for him to sit beside her.

"I'm just saying," Harry continued when he was more comfortably positioned on the floor, "I think he needs you around. He seems lighter and more…"

Harry seemed to struggle to find the right words.

"He's more like Ron when you're around," Ginny explained earning her a surprised look from both Harry and Hermione.

"I think he feels he needs to protect me and Harry all the time, not that he wouldn't do that anyway but he hides things from us sometimes, as though he doesn't want to burden us with his problems."

Ginny looked down sadly.

She saw Harry grab her hand and squeeze it before he spoke to Hermione.

"I've seen the way he is around you, its like –"

"That burden has been lifted off his shoulders," Hermione whispered softly.

"Exactly," Harry replied with a smile.

"Do you really see that?" she asked Harry seriously.

Harry nodded his head vigorously at her.

They all remained silent for a moment.

"Should we get back then?" Harry questioned emphasizing on the 'we'.

"I don't know if I could face him right now," Hermione said nervously, "I kind of left things in a bit of a mess."

"Why did you react the way you did?" Harry questioned.

It was the question that Ginny had been hoping he wouldn't ask but of course Harry always had a knack for timing. Ginny thought it best to rescue her friend.

"This idiot Lavender said that she and Ron snogged at the ball," Ginny rolled her eyes and tried to convey how ridiculous the notion was to ensure Harry didn't say anything that would upset Hermione.

She needn't have worried.

Harry suddenly burst into laughter clutching at his stomach and fell back onto the floor.

Ginny and Hermione blinked blankly at him.

"Ron…snog…Lavender?" Harry said through fits of laughter, "Ron hates Lavender!"

"You should know that Gin," Harry added when he seemed to compose himself though a broad grin remained on his face, "Not to mention…"

"Not to mention?" Ginny repeated looking at him in curiously.

"Nothing," Harry said though his eyes sparkled as though he were enjoying an inside joke.

"Okay," Ginny said ignoring him for the time being, "You know if you want, I could go back and clear things up for you. Ask about Lavender?"

Hermione seemed surprised at this.

"No Ginny. You were right before, I can't just run away," Hermione sighed looking down at her clasped hands, "I owe it to Ron to at least explain my behaviour."

Ron closed his notebook and placed his completed history of magic assignment into the pile of completed assignments. He dumped the textbook onto the floor and fell with a thunk on top of his charms and herbology books.

He read through his checklist and crossed off 'History of Magic' assignment from his list. He grabbed his D.A.D.A textbook and notebook before reading the assigned essay question Remus had set for their assignment.

"Boggarts are a generally weak creature because they can be easily overcome? Discuss."

Ron's thoughts returned to the most recent D.A.D.A lesson before he realised that that was exactly what he had been trying to avoid the entire evening.

The click of the door opening made Ron drop his pencil and he whipped around to stare at the door.

Hermione had only stepped inside and closed the door behind her before her face was pressed against a very hard white surface.

Hermione pushed her face away slightly but found it impossible and simply rested her head on Ron's shoulder. Without realizing what she was doing she felt her arms wrap around Ron's torso and her small hands clutched onto his shirt.

Hermione could hear Ron's heartbeat wildly beside her ear and she felt her face flush at the close contact. He smelled like freshly mown grass and ink.

Painfully she realised that Ron had taken a step away from her and was now staring intently at her.

"I thought – "

"What? You thought I left?" she laughed in what she hoped was a convincing tone, when she had practiced with Harry he told her she looked like a grindylow, he earned a smack across the head from Ginny for that.

"I just had Dobby clean my clothes and bed sheets."

'Harry was right, that was a lame excuse.'

But Ron didn't seem to hear her, he just continued to stare at her and Hermione began to wonder if she had not taken enough of Snape's potion but from the corner of her eye she saw John's image reflected in her mirror.

She bit her lip before looking up at Ron.

"Ron," she sighed, "I nee-umph!"

Hermione wasn't entirely sure what had happened. One moment she was talking and the next moment Ron's lips were on hers. His rough hands were caressing her face and he smelled so much sweeter up close. Hermione let her hand run up his shoulders and neck until they were running through his glorious red hair.

She felt herself pushed up against the door and Ron's lips were hungrily and yet at the same time gently exploring hers. Hermione sighed and she gasped in surprise when Ron's tongue slid across her teeth.

'Ron is kissing me.'

Hermione's breath caught in her throat when she felt Ron's hands slid down her stomach and –

'WAIT!'

'RON IS KISSING ME!'

Hermione eyes snapped open and she pushed Ron away from her, it was difficult because he was so much bigger than her but she finally managed.

They stood panting and staring at one another.

Hermione's hand slowly reached to her mouth in shock.

Ron's eyes suddenly focused and his mouth fell open as though he had only just realised what he had done.

Hermione did the only rational thing.

She ran.

A/N: How was that? Did you enjoy it? I hope so :) Please Read and Review.

Kashrlyyk: No that's not really how the magic works. I'll see if I can explain the specifics of the magic in the next chapter or so. Sorry if it's confusing you.

Kil: I think you're referring to the part where Ron' punches the wall in the Owlery thus causing his hands to bleed. And the earlier incident was a result of Snapes potions detention. The latter was just a means for Hermione and Ron to be touching each other :) I wonder if I have a morbid fascination with blood? But I do like hands and mention them alot...does it bother you? Cause I'll make a note of that for future stories I write :) As for the spelling you can thank Microsoft for always removing my 'u's from colour etc but that's my fault too so I'm sorry.

3's all around: (laughs evily) No I haven't forgotten the 3rd year plot line, its' been just sidelined for a bit while Hermione and Ron try to figure out their strange relationship.