"If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want."

Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and completely useless." — Aprilynne Pike (Wings)

I was getting desperate, nothing I was doing seemed to be bringing Hermione Granger any closer to liking me, actually, our relationship had gotten worse since I'd started. I'd also gained a plethora of injuries, and not just to my pride. My entire body was covered in bruises from the disastrous ice skating attempt, and I also still had cuts from Crookshanks. Today though, all of that would change. Today was the first annual Weasley cookout, (some muggle thing Harry suggested) and I was going to get Hermione to go out with me.

Even if I had to beg on my knees, it wasn't the first time I'd have done it. I'd been begging to George far too much recently.

So, she was coming over today for lunch, and i couldn't have been more excited. Or prepared, today, I was pulling out all the stops. I was going to get her to go out with me, or at least say Hello. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Luna, Verity, Fleur, Brianna, Penelope, Mum, Dad, George, and myself would all be at the cookout today, so I'd have no time alone, but I could possibly get her alone, because once again we would be the only ones without dates. This was an extremely happy coincidence on my part. Okay, it was an extremely happy plan quite literally on my part. I'd almost begged mum only to invite couples, not that there was anyone in my family but me that was single.

By choice of course.

So, aside from the fact that Mum was now extremely suspicious of my motives, everything was in place for a wonderful afternoon of fun and Hermione.

Well, of fun anyway. There was guaranteed to be at least one quidditch game. I just hope I get on Hermione's team. She was a rubbish flyer, mostly because she disliked flying, but it'd give me an excuse to hang near her.

Well that's what I had hoped, but once again my brilliant plan was ruined. This time, it was her own doing. We split up into teams, George and I were both on Charlie's team while Bill had Ron and Harry, when Hermione offered to referee the match. Meaning she would be spending the entire time on the ground, not in the air with me. I needed a new plan, and pronto.

"George!" I whispered, grabbing my broom and getting ready to fly. He turned towards me and leaned closer.

"What?" He whispered back, looking slightly worried.

"I need you to hit me with the bludger."

"Are you mad?" He asked, hopping on his broom and shooting me a glare. "I'm not going to injure you just because you have an unhealthy obsession with a book worm."

"I do not have an obsession, and I just want to spend some time with her! All I need for you to do is give me a small injury, that way I can sit the game out and join her. Come on, you can do it. Besides, you owe me." I said, pulling out my trump card. George raised his eyebrow and looked at me disbelievingly.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do, I closed the shop without you last week so that you could go out with Verity."

"You have to be joking." George said, shaking his head and looking genuinely worried. "You really want me to hit you?"

"No, I want you to send the bludger at someone, and I'll just get in the way."

"No one will buy that, they'll think I did it on purpose, or you did. We work to well together."

"Then blame it on the sun, I don't care, just send it my way."

"Alright." George said, shaking his head. "You know, it would be a whole lot easier to just ask the girl out on a date."

"What would be the fun in that?"

{}{}{}

All I had to do was sit still and wait for George to hit the Bludger at me. No problem, just sit still and watch the hard, enchanted ball hit me.

WHAM

The ball was a lot bigger than it had looked, and stung a lot more than I thought it would. It hit me right on the shoulder, and I instantly started to fall of my broom. My arm felt like it was on fire, and it was hanging limply by my side. I tried to lower my broom down to the ground, but I couldn't steer it. Stars filled my vision, and I felt myself start to fall, I was at least thirty meters in the air.

This was going to really hurt, and it was going to be in a lame attempt to talk to Hermione Granger.
I closed my eyes and braced myself to hit the hard ground when I suddenly felt myself stop midair. My arm fired up in more pain, and I nearly screamed at the feel of it.

Wait, why hadn't I hit the ground yet?

I forced my eyes open, fighting the pain in my arm, and saw a blur of green about half a meter in front of me. I was hovering in mid air, someone had stopped me from hitting the ground. I moved my head slowly, giddy with relief, and light headed from pain, to see Hermione holding her wand in front of me. She had stopped me, she'd saved me from what would have been an extremely painful collision. She gently lowered her wand, having me lower to the ground slowly. A moment later I was surrounded by red heads. I did not want to be surrounded by my brothers, I wanted to be surrounded by Hermione. I couldn't even see her bushy hair, and that was saying something.

I was picked up, despite my constant protest, and carried towards the Burrow. They were actually caring me, like not even letting me touch the ground. I once again found a whole new level of embarrassment. If I ever regained the use of my right arm, I'd hex that stupid grin off George and Harry's face. It would have taken all of a minute to repair my arm with magic.

"What happened?" Mum demanded the minute I got carried into the Burrow.

"It was a bludger accident. I'm fine, just need a little help." They laid me down on the couch and I hissed in pain as my arm contacted with the cushion. "Maybe a little skelegrow too."

"Everyone out." She ordered, whipping her wand out and coming towards me. My brothers, my friends, all paled and backed up, heading towards the door. That was sad; my mother could scare off every guy in the house. Then again, my father could too. Now that I think of it, both my parents were pretty scary.

So, I was now alone on the couch, with just my mother and her wand. She touched it to my shoulder gently, a soft look in her eyes.

"You know, you really didn't have to get yourself hurt to get Hermione to go out with you." She said quietly as she mended my arm. Merlin, she knew what I was planning.

Was it really possible for me to get any more embarrassed?

"I'm not trying to get her to go out with me, I was just playing a game." I said, lying through my teeth yet again. It had never worked with her before, but hey, why not try.

"Don't lie to me." She said sitting down in front of me on the coffee table. "You like her, I can tell." A smile lifted her lips and she got a sparkle in her eye. "It's adorable really."

Great, my mum thought I was adorable. Merlin, she was going to try and help!

I wonder if it would be too drastic to just jump in the lake and drown myself there by ending all the ever increasing embarrassment.

"I think I know of a way to help."

Really? "What do you have in mind?" I asked, cringing when she lit up even more. This was so not a good thing.

"You could ask her out, I'm sure she'd say yes."

I could practically hear George laughing .