Sorry so short.

Chapter 121: He Got Off!

When I woke up the next morning, Harry was not in the room. For a few seconds, I panicked. But then I realized that today was the day that Harry had his trial. Which didn't help my panicking.

They couldn't not let him go back to Hogwarts. Not over something that he had no choice but to do. It seemed so barmy to me why the Ministry wouldn't believe anything Harry and Dumbledore had to say about You Know Who returning. Why would the boy who almost died by his hands when he was a baby lie about something like that?

I took a shower and got dressed, not even remotely ready to do any work. I went downstairs and into the kitchen, where Mum and Ginny were eating and talking.

"Oh good morning Ron dear." said Mum. "Come and sit. Get a spot of breakfast. Your sister and I were just discussing why she feels we shouldn't work today."

The sound of those words woke me right up. I sat down and put bacon, eggs, and sausages on my plate.

"Right." said Ginny. "As I was saying, I don't think we should. It's already going to be tense around here what with Harry being at his trial and we having no clue what's going to happen."

My sister was so smart.

"I agree, Mum." I chimed in. "I would be too focused on worrying about Harry to really do a good job. And you know how Hermione gets when she is fretting over something. You wouldn't get any decent work out of her."

"I'm just...I'm scared, Mum." said Ginny, her voice cracking in a way that I knew full well was fake, but for some reason, Mum and Dad fell for it every time.

Mum placed a calming hand on top of Ginny's. "Oh dear, it's going to be okay. Harry didn't do anything wrong."

It was time for me to put on my charm.

"We know that Mum, but the Ministry, they could very well make the expulsion stick. And then (I sighed deeply) I would hardly ever see my best mate again. He was my first friend outside of the family, you know. And for him to go back to the Dursley's? It pains me to even think that."

I closed, giving the best look of sorrow I could muster.

"Oh my precious baby boy." said Mum, almost tearing. You have such a big heart. I shouldn't have forgotten how much this whole thing would take a toll on you kids too. Okay. You can have the day off today. Hopefully when Harry comes back, it will be good news, yeah?"

Ginny smiled, but tried her best to still look bothered. "Thanks, Mum. You're the best."

After breakfast, we whizzed back up the steps, and into Ginny and Hermione's room. Hermione was sitting up and brushing her hair. Still in her pajamas. Which were only a tight tanks and shorts.

Thank goodness for my baggy bottoms.

"Big brother, we make a great team." said Ginny, giving me a high five."

"What are you talking about?" asked Hermione, as I sat down beside her on her bed.

"We just got Mum to let us off the hook for chores today." I said proudly.

"Really? That's amazing. How did you manage?"

"Well, we kind of used Harry as an excuse." said Ginny.

"Yeah. Ginny was brilliant. And I chimed in about how we wouldn't be able to focus over being worried about Harry. She took it all in, it was great."

Hermione however, wasn't impressed.

"Oh Ron, that was terrible." she said, crossing her arms. "Why would you do that to your mum?"

"What? It's not like I was lying."

"It doesn't matter. You manipulated your mother by using Harry!"

"Oh come off it, Harry wouldn't care!"

"I'll just go..." I heard Ginny say quietly as she snuck out the door.

"You're insufferable Ronald Weasley!" continued Hermione, nose tilted into the air."

"And you're a bloody pain in the as ass!" I yelled.

Hermione looked flabbergasted. "Did...did you just-"

"Yes I sure as hell did!" I interrupted. "You're on my ass about something incredibly stupid! And you're acting as if I told some big fib! I wouldn't have been able to focus on anything today properly, and neither would you. Why? Because there is a 50/50 chance our best friend, my first friend, won't be coming back to school with us. Hell, maybe even a 70/30 chance, as Fudge hates him. Do you know how devastated I would feel if he didn't go back? Especially since that means going back to like with the fucking scum of the Muggle world? That shit has been weighing heavily on my mind, Hermione. You have no idea."

I hadn't meant to unload on Hermione like that. However, it seemed like that was something that needed to happen. Because she unloaded too.

"You know I know how it feels, Ron," she said, voice a bit softer. "He's my best friend too. You and Harry were my first friends ever. I've never had friends before you two, you know that. I have been trying not to think about what could happen, but I have been thinking about it Ron, I have. And not knowing anything right now is making me feel so nervous."

Before I knew what was happening, Hermione lunged into my arms. I sat awkwardly for a few seconds, then I began to rub her back.

"I don't want to lose either of you." she said, chin resting on my shoulder.

"You're not going to lose us, I promise." I said as I rubbed circles on her back.

"Sorry for yelling at you." said Hermione, sitting up from me. "It was actually very clever, what you two did."

"So why did you yell at me?"

Hermione sighed. "It's just being in this house all day, every single day. It really takes a toll. I miss feeling the actual sun shining on me. Breathing fresh air."

"Merlin, so do I. It's like I want to escape, but I know that would be too risky. Mum would be furious."

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to do anything to upset your mother." said Hermione, smirking.

"If we could go outside, what would you do?" I asked, laying back on her bed. "And don't you dare say go get a book."

Hermione laughed, slapping my knee. "I would want to be at the Burrow actually. I would lay out in the grass, in my bikini, and just soak up all the sun I could before diving into the water."

I felt myself perk up once again. "In a bikini?"

Hermione gave me what appeared to be a sly look. "Yeah. In a bikini. I have lots of bikinis."

"Do you really?" I breathed, trying hard not to look like I wasn't imagining her in all different colors and all different types.

"Oh yeah. I like bikinis." said Hermione as she got up off the bed.

"So do I." I said, not really meaning to.

"I know." laughed Hermione as she walked out of the room.

Shit. She must have caught me staring before. I felt embarrassed for a few seconds, until I realized that she seemed like she liked it.

Wicked.

After she got dressed, we went up to Fred and George's room and played a few rounds of exploding snap, trying hard not to think about of our best mate would be taking the train with us on the first, or would be going back to the the evil Dursley's house.

"I knew it!" I yelled when Harry came in and announced that he was going back to school, punching the air. "You always get away with shit!"

I was too happy to watch my language around my parents and Hermione. They seemed unbothered this time, because they didn't get onto me.

"They were bound to clear you," said Hermione, who had looked positively faint with anxiety when Harry had entered the kitchen and was now holding a shaking hand over her eyes, "there was no case against you, none at all."

"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering you all knew I'd get off," said Harry, smiling.

Mum was wiping her face on her apron, and Fred, George, and Ginny were doing a kind of war dance to a chant that went: "He got off, he got off, he got off!"

"That's enough! Settle down!" shouted Dad, though he too was smiling. "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry-"

"What?" said Sirius sharply.

"He got off, he got off, he got off!"

"Be quiet, you three! Yes, we saw him talking to Fudge on Level Nine, then they went up to Fudge's office together. Dumbledore ought to know."

'Absolutely," said Sirius. "We'll tell him, don't worry."

"Well, I'd better get going, there's a vomiting toilet waiting for me in Bethnal Green. Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner-"

"He got off, he got off, he got off!"

"That's enough-Fred-George-Ginny!" said Mum, as Dad left the kitchen. "Harry, dear, come and sit down, have some lunch, you hardly ate breakfast..."

Hermione and I sat ourselves down opposite him, looking happier than we had done since he had first arrived at Grimmauld Place. Everything seemed so much better, brighter, and nothing would get me down.

'Course, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," I said happily.

"Yeah, he swung it for me," said Harry. "I wish he'd talked to me, though. Or even looked at me."

Suddenly, Harry seemed to flinch and he grabbed his forehead.

'What's up?" said Hermione, looking alarmed.

"Scar," Harry mumbled. "But it's nothing... It happens all the time now..."

"I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening, to celebrate with us, you know." I said before Hermione killed the vibe with her worrying.

"I don't think he'll be able to, Ron," said Mum, setting a huge plate of roast chicken down in front of Harry. "He's really very busy at the moment."

"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF. HE GOT OFF!"

"SHUT UP!" roared Mum"