A Tale of Two Romances
Chapter Seven: Denial
"This is such a stupid idea," Ron grumbled as he struggled to climb the tree. Harry laughed at him from another tree.
"You want to cheer up Hermione right? This'll help."
"Yeah," Ron replied. He lifted a leg and tried to swing it over a large branch above him but slipped and fell to the branch below. "Owww!"
Harry laughed again. "You alright?"
"Hmm, I wonder if Hermione's cheerfulness is really worth all this pain," Ron said rubbing his bottom.
Harry had reached a high perch in his tree. "Well, if Ginny's right this will definitely be worth it."
Ron rolled his eyes and tried to mount the difficult branch again. "You reckon? You haven't known Ginny as long as I have. She can be a real little devil." Ron finally made it onto the branch he had been aiming for. "Don't get me started on all the horrible things she has put me through. My life is full of awful little stories."
Harry was laughing both at Ron's words and his awkward climbing skills. "Poor Ron, it sounds like you had a rough childhood, having to put up with all of your horrible siblings."
Ron scowled and wobbled on his branch. "Shut up, Harry."
Ginny was lying on her back on her bed, her legs in the air, and tossed the hacky-sack over to Hermione. Hermione, lying on her stomach on her own bed, caught it in one hand and sighed.
"I wonder where Ron and Harry are," said Hermione. "How strange that they simply disappeared."
Ginny, who knew completely well where they were, wondered what was taking them so long. Surely they would realise soon that they weren't coming. "Yeah," she lied. "But I guess it isn't too weird. I mean, maybe Mum sent them off shopping for some of her cleaning stuff in Diagon Alley or something. She makes Ron do that a lot when he's home."
Hermione frowned and passed the hacky-sack from hand to hand before throwing it back to Ginny. "Maybe we should ask your mother then. Just to make sure. I'm sure nothing has happened to them, they can look after themselves. But maybe we should just make sure." Hermione was still jumpy from her near encounter with the woods and the issues brought up in her and Ginny's argument still hovered at the front of her mind.
"Uh, I'm sure everything's alright," Ginny said with false pretence. "Quit worrying. Like you say, they can look after themselves."
"Yeah." Hermione sat up and leaned back on her pillows with a sigh. Ginny dropped the hacky-sack to the floor, tired of its small amount of entertainment. They sat in silence for a while.
Hermione sighed again. "Well, if they did go to Diagon Alley they should've had the decency to invite us. It's boring being stuck here without them."
Ginny laughed and sat up. "Well, who knows, maybe Ron needs some privacy to ask Harry how to woo you."
Hermione lept up. "What?!"
Ginny grinned, the awkwardness broken. "You heard me."
Hermione stood up colour flooding her face. "There is no way that Ron needs advice on how to woo me, Ginny Weasley!" she exclaimed.
"Whatever you say."
"Well, he doesn't."
"Okay."
"He doesn't!"
"I believe you."
"Quit teasing me Ginny!"
"Sorry." Ginny joked.
Hermione sighed in exasperation before changing tactics. "What about Harry then?"
Ginny was taken by surprise. "What about him?"
"Harry. You know," Hermione smiled cheekily. "The one who you claim you have been completely 'over' for years."
Ginny's mouth opened and closed.
"I've seen the way you look at him, Ginny."
"I don't look at him in any particular way!" Ginny said in indignation.
"Okay," said Hermione, copying Ginny's earlier argument.
Ginny squinted in annoyance. "I don't fancy Harry if that's what you're saying."
"Well, I don't fancy Ron!" Hermione flushed after saying the words "fancy" and "Ron" in the same sentence. Before Ginny could comment she added, "And he definitely doesn't fancy me."
Ginny frowned but she knew Hermione wouldn't listen if she made another suggestion towards Ron's more-than-friendly feelings.
"Besides," continued Hermione to finish her point. "He has too much pride to ask Harry how to woo anyone."
"So, Harry … do you think-? I mean, what did you -? How did you -? Uh …"
The boys had been sitting in their respective trees in silence for a long time. Both were buried in their own thoughts. Ron's thoughts keep unwillingly wandering to Hermione. He imagined her reaction to their surprise. He and Harry were going summon coloured lights to dance through the trees and were going to convince the girls, well Hermione anyway, to follow them. They were then going to follow the girls on their brooms that they had hidden in the bracken nearby. The colours would continue to dance and the boys were going to surprise the girls from behind. It was definitely a plan devised by Ginny. Ron had been unsure this whole time about it. Hermione had been really jumpy lately about their safety and he didn't know if they would simply frighten her instead of pleasing her. In fact, he was afraid for himself in case she threw a hex his way in a misconception that he was someone else or because it actually was him. Hermione had been rather unpredictable lately.
Harry was also buried deep in his thoughts. "Uh, what Ron?" He could feel his face flush slightly from embarrassment. He had also been thinking about a certain female.
"Um, er … forget it." Ron blushed profusely.
"Er, okay," Harry said, giving him an odd look.
There was silence again for a few minutes before Ron gathered up all his courage.
"Harry … howdoyouaskagirlout?"
Harry looked at Ron as if he has sprouted a second nose. "What??"
Ron picked at a piece of peeling bark on his branch and took a deep breath. "How do you ask a girl out?"
"Oh," said Harry.
Ron looked up awkwardly. "Is that all you can say?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, I dunno Ron. I'm not exactly an expert. Why don't you ask one of your brothers?"
Ron scoffed. "Ask one of my brothers? You know how much I cop from them already; I don't need to give them any more reasons to pay me out."
"Fair enough," said Harry not wanting to imagine what the twins would do to Ron if he brought up the subject with them. "Well, I guess I know what not to do."
Ron scrunched up his nose. "Be serious Harry."
"I am being serious," Harry said. "I could give you some tips but I'm not sure if you should listen to me."
"Anything helps," Ron replied.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What is this about?"
A blush rose in Ron's cheeks. "Nothing. I – I was just curious."
Harry suddenly grinned. "Okay."
Ron frowned. "What? It is nothing."
"Be serious, Ron. This is about Hermione isn't it?"
"What??" Ron looked horrified. "No, of course not. It isn't. Not at all. Why do you say that?"
Harry laughed. "It's so obvious mate. You shouldn't deny it."
Ron's face was burning. "I'm not denying anything."
It was obvious that Harry didn't believe him but Harry didn't push the matter. "So, you want some advice, eh?" Harry began.
It was getting late into the afternoon by the time Ginny did begin to get worried. She wondered again at what Hermione had said earlier and felt a pang of guilt.
"Hermione?"
Hermione looked up from the book she was buried in. "Yes?"
"Um, I checked with Mum and the boys aren't at Diagon Alley," Ginny lied. "I don't know where they are."
Hermione put down her book looking concerned. "Then where could they be?"
Ginny shrugged guiltily. "I don't know. Maybe they went exploring early this morning or something."
Hermione frowned glancing out the window. "They should really be back by now. It's getting late."
Nervously, Ginny sat at the end of Hermione's bed and looked down at her knees. "I have been thinking about what you said earlier. It is dangerous to risk our, and especially Harry's, safety. I'm sorry that I was silly enough to think of it. But I'm afraid that if Harry and Ron are out there now that they are already risking it."
Hermione looked troubled. "It's okay Ginny. I might have overreacted though. I'm sure Harry and Ron are fine."
Ginny gave her a small smile. "Thanks Hermione. But should we go looking for them?"
Hermione hesitated before shaking her head. "You're right, they can look after themselves. Besides, Ron would never miss dinner."
Hermione's attempt at a joke didn't go past Ginny who laughed. "Yeah, you're right. We shouldn't go and get ourselves lost looking for them."
"As long as they are back home for dinner," Hermione agreed.
"Speaking of which, we'd better go help Mum." The two girls pushed their worries to the back of their mind and went downstairs to help Mrs Weasley.
Harry's eyelids were beginning to droop. Ron had been fidgeting for a while now as first one leg and then the other went numb. He had been complaining most of the afternoon.
"Why can't we go back? I don't think Ginny and Hermione are coming."
"Maybe you're right Ron," Harry answered with a yawn.
"Of course I'm bloody right," Ron muttered, his temper worn thin. "What a waste of an afternoon."
The two boys began to lower themselves from their perches.
"Wait," Ron said suddenly. "Listen."
Harry blinked. Approaching footsteps could be heard a small distance away.
"Quick, back up in the trees!" Harry told Ron, suddenly wide awake.
Ron groaned as he hauled himself back onto the branch although he was grinning with excitement. "About bloody time."