-Chapter 33: She Isn't Looking for a Duel-

Molly spent all of her time planning the party for Ginny. When the day finally arrived everything was perfect. Hermione helped her out by hiring waiters and waitresses through a Wizarding catering company that someone from the Ministry recommended. There were tables outside the Burrow and everything was in Team England colors.

Hermione was sandwiched between Ron and Ginny at one of the tables. Lennox was sitting with Hermione's parents at another. Despite not having to watch Lennox for the afternoon Hermione had keep an eye on Ron and elbow him in the ribs more than once for flirting with one of the hired waitresses.

"Ronald, if I have to tell you one more time to not hit on the waitress I am going to silencio you," Hermione hissed.

Ron took another shot of fire whiskey, everyone had lost count as to how many he'd had.

"Hey, it's either her or you, sexy!" Ron slurred and put an arm around Hermione's shoulder. The table went quiet. Hermione shoved him away.

"Ronald Weasley! That is absolutely crossing the line!" Hermione tried not to yell.

"Oh come on 'Mione. You know you still want to snog the brains outta me!"

"Excuse me, what?" Ginny leaned over and looked at her brother.

Hermione clenched her jaw and growled, "Ronald I have no idea what you are talking about but you need to shut your mouth, now."

"That –hic- that time in the forest. Finding horcruxes and everything. Then that time last week."

Ginny turned red and glared at Hermione.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Ron!" Harry stood up and took the intoxicated man's arm, "You choked on a piece of ham last week and she gave you the Heimlich and had to resuscitate you after you passed out!"

"That's not what I'm talkin' about!" Ron turned green when he stood up and held his stomach.

Everyone at the party was staring now.

"I'm taking him on the other side of the house…for some air." Harry dragged him away from the table.

"Sorry, everyone. I'm sorry." Hermione was bright red from embarrassment. Ginny was still bright red but not for the same reason.

"Care to explain what he was talking about?" Ginny scowled into Hermione's ear. She didn't bother hiding the fact that she was furious.

"Not right now, no." Hermione pushed the food around on her plate. Everyone else had resumed their normal conversation but stole glances over at Hermione and Ginny.

"Oh, I think now is a really good time."

"I'm pretty sure that never would be a really good time for this."

Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes.

"Excuse me, I need to go for a walk," Ginny said. She stood up and headed to the other side of the Burrow. She saw Ron bent over, heaving up his lunch and Harry patting his friend's back. The furious witch pulled her wand out of the inside of her dress coat and marched towards the two; Harry moved and stood in front of Ron.

"Get out of my way, Harry!" Ginny yelled, aiming her wand at her brother.

"Ginny, you need to calm down," Harry tried to persuade her. She tried to get around him but Harry held on to her and managed to keep her wand arm down. Ginny swore at him loudly, trying to shake his grip.

"Shove off, Potter! Let me have a go at her!" Ron searched his jacket for his wand.

"Ron, first off, you're drunk and anything you cast is going to backfire. Second, she isn't looking for a duel, she wants to kill you," Harry yelled over Ginny's screams. Having heard the commotion everyone was now starting to gather around the three.

"Harry I swear if you do not let me go I will make Luna a widow when I am done with Ron!" Harry let go at the shock of what Ginny said and she lunged for Ron.

"Ginevra Weasley! That is enough from you!" Molly stepped in front of her daughter. Ginny dodged her mother and headed towards Ron who was attempting to run away.

"INCARCEROUS!" A thick rope shot out from the end of Hermione's wand and knocked Ginny to the ground, binding her. The redhead struggled against the ropes but to no avail.

"Dammit, Hermione! Get these bloody things off of me!" she yelled.

Hermione walked over and knelt down next to Ginny.

"I will do no such thing until first and foremost you apologize to Harry and Luna for what just came out of your mouth."

Ginny remained silent. She wouldn't look at Hermione.

"Bill, take her up to her room please." Hermione stood up and Bill levitated Ginny into the Burrow. Ron walked over to Hermione.

"Thanks for that," he half slurred, still a bit drunk. Hermione responded by socking him in the eye, a hard enough blow to knock him to the ground.

"You imbecilic, disgusting little prat! How could you do this to me?!" Hermione screamed.

"You snogged me!"

"As I recall, Ronald, you were the one who practically attacked me and on top of that it meant absolutely nothing! Get over it! Oh never mind this. You're not going to remember it anyway. Go sober yourself up." Hermione stormed into the Burrow's kitchen. She heard Ginny yelling at Bill upstairs. She headed up and listened outside the door.

"Ginny, you have to calm down. You don't even know the whole story."

"She snogged Ron! Of all people! Ron!"

"I seriously doubt it, Gin. Ron was drunk and you know how he gets."

"She didn't want to talk about it, something happened."

Hermione took a deep breath and knocked on the door and stepped in. Ginny looked away from her. Bill got up and left.

"If I untie you will you promise not to try and kill me?"

Ginny remained silent. Hermione carefully untied the ropes and they disappeared when they hit the floor. Ginny shook out her arms and stood up to leave. Hermione pointed her wand at the redhead.

"Either I body bind you and you listen or you sit down and listen," the brunette said sternly. Ginny sat back down on the bed, Hermione did the same.

"Okay then. The forest while we were looking for horcruxes…and Harry will back me up on this....We woke up one morning and Ron out of nowhere starts flirting with me. I asked him what was up with it and he got angry asking me if I remembered anything from the night before. Then he starts describing this kiss between us that I swear to you never happened. Harry and I found one of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Daydream Charm bottles, empty, next to his cot. The bottle looked just like the one of Pepperup Potion I packed and all we can figure is that he mixed up the two. That was part of the reason why he left us that October."

Ginny couldn't decide whether to kill her brother for fantasizing about Hermione or just be glad that nothing actually happened.

"And last week?"

"Ron was over for dinner Wednesday night and Harry is right, he did choke on some ham and I had to revive him. However, later on, Ron decided to take it upon his intoxicated self to thank me by surprising me with a kiss just outside the bathroom."

Ginny took a deep breath.

"Did you kiss him back?"

Hermione was silent for a moment before she whispered, "I don't know."

"What the hell do you mean?" Ginny stood up. Hermione did the same.

"I mean I was taken by surprise and I didn't know what was happening."

"Uh-huh. Then what? You went into my room and shagged?" Ginny started yelling and pacing.

"No! I pushed him away and kneed him in the groin."

"Did you think about it?"

"What?"

"Did you…think about…shagging…my brother?" Ginny spelled out.

"I…I don't know."

"Hermione…please tell me you don't have a thing for him. "

"I don't! I just…I mean all night we were talking about the wedding and us settling down and in that moment Ron kissed me I just…I don't know. For a split second…You're the only person I've been with since before Lennox was born and I just panicked a little. This is going to be a really big change. For both of us."

Ginny played with the ring on her finger as she paced the floor. Hermione watched her nervously.

"Hermione, is this what you really want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really want to get married?"

"Oh gods, Ginny, of course I do!" Hermione stopped Ginny's pacing and pulled her in to a hug. "I just…had some momentary second thoughts but that's done with now. I want you, I'm absolutely sure of it. You can't tell me you haven't had second thoughts."

Ginny pushed away. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I…I have to go, Hermione. I'm sorry." Ginny walked out of the bedroom.

Hermione stood in the middle of the small room by herself and looked out the window. Harry came in and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You know it's just a simple misunderstanding, 'Mione. Things will get easier," he said.

"Harry, with Ginny and me...you and I both know…we know it's never simple, never easy."

Author's end notes: God I really have made Hermione into kind of a bitch, haven't I? Damn. I think she redeems herself pretty well in the third installment though...You'll have to wait and see. I will be nice (or mean, depending on how you look at it) and give you some teasers from ...And the World Stood Still:

-*-*-*-*-*-

"Drop your wand Mudblood or Luna gets to join her parents."

"Don't do it Hermione," Luna said.

"If that's not enough motivation for you then I can make sure the Lovegoods get to meet their grandsons, too." Draco lowered his wand to Albus and smirked. The clatter of the slender piece of wood hitting the floor echoed through the sitting room. "Good. Sit." Draco motioned to the loveseat.......

"Draco, it doesn't matter what I can do at the Ministry. He can't get out this time. Shacklebolt won't let it happen no matter what I do. And if you let this go any further you're going to end up in the cell next to him." Harry tried to reason.

Draco turned quickly and aimed his wand at Hermione. "Crucio!" Hermione started screaming.

...............

Ginny zipped up around the Burrow. She flew over the adjacent fields and dangerously close to the village. She didn't care though. The rush of almost being seen released more adrenaline from her. ........She took off again, as high as she could go before the air started getting too thin to breathe. She dove back down and avoided collision with the ground by mere centimeters. She landed in an open field and sat down, her broomstick at her feet.

It all happened so quickly. Four figures coming from each direction, all of them shouted at once before Ginny could un-strap her wand from the broom handle.

"STUPEFY!"

...............

"Where the fuck am I?" Ginny demanded to know.

"I thought that would be obvious to you by now. Eat your lunch, I want to keep you healthy."

"Fuck you, Narcissa." Ginny picked up the tray and threw it at the wall. "Where the hell is my family?"

"I have none of them. As far as I know, they are safe. If any harm comes to them it will not be at my hand."

-*-*-*-*-*-

See you all over in the final installment!