Three days since they had all left Hogwarts and Ginny had cried every morning when she thought the rest of the Weasley family was asleep. It was like she woke up early to get it over with so that no one would ask embarrassing questions. Ron only knew she was doing it because he had overheard her on his way to the bathroom after drinking a little too much butter beer on their first night back from school; on the first night after Dumbledore's funeral.
Ron had sensed that it would not go over well for him to interrupt Ginny, despite a profound desire to do so. He had owled Hermione for advice that very first morning, and told Pig to step on it.
Ron had known what Ginny was crying about. It was about Harry and his "noble" gesture, obviously. The git!
Hermione had been sensible and smart in saying to leave Ginny alone for a while to deal with it on her own. Hermione had also absolutely forbidden Ron from punching Harry in the nose.
On the second day, Ron had stood outside of Ginny's room and listened again, wanting with all his heart to go in and take care of his baby sister.
On that second day, Ron had been reminded poignantly of a time when Ginny was five and Ron was six. She had taken a broom out of the shed. She had somehow managed to get the thing five or six feet off the ground and she fell. She started crying and crying, more because she had failed to fly as well as Bill on her first try than because of the gash on her knee, but Ron couldn't stand to see his little sister cry.
Ron had picked her up and helped her back to the kitchen. He had soaked a towel with water and tried to dab the blood off Ginny's knee. Ginny had told him through tear-filled eyes that she could do it herself, thank you, and he was just making it sting anyway. Then she had pointed out that Ron was getting blood all over their mum's best hand towel. The she had called him a prat. Then of course a row had ensued, and their mum came in as Ron was trying to kick Ginny in her cut knee, and Ginny threw the towel at him.
Ginny had always been like that. She had been such a fierce and independent little girl. Really, she wasn't that much younger than him, anyway. There was only a little more than a year between them. That was probably why she disdained help from Ron more than any of their other brothers. Maybe that disdain was why Ron always wanted to give it more than any of their other brothers.
On that second day, as Ron had stood outside her door listening to the weeping sounds coming from his baby sister's room, he also remembered two other things about when she fell off the broom. First, Ron remembered how bad it had hurt his feelings when Ginny didn't want his help. Secondly, Ron remembered how Ginny had immediately told their mum how she was injured. Being that his Mum had looked close to apoplexy when seeing Ron kicking at her, Ginny had probably saved one or both of Ron's buttocks from a terrible experience.
After hearing Ginny cry for so long on that second day after returning from school, he had decided to write to Hermione again, a more panicked tone in his letter this time. Hermione had to know what he could do; she was the smartest person he knew.
Ron had gotten a response from Hermione that evening. Hermione had responded that she didn't know what he could do, but that sometimes you have to help people without them knowing that you were trying to help them. She had also said that sometimes if you pretended that you weren't trying to help them, even though both of you knew that you were trying to help them, then sometimes the appearance of not helping would allow you to help.
After reading that response, it was yet another moment when Ron realized that Hermione functioned on about five different emotional levels above him. It also reinforced his conclusion that all women are mental, particularly Hermione. But, since it came from Hermione, it must be correct; or at least two or three different written sources must have said it was correct.
On the third day – yesterday - Ron had awoken early yet again to check on Ginny. She was making a few noises, and she may have been crying, but it was not as bad at least. He had written Hermione again so that she wouldn't worry, putting poor little Pigwidgeon through yet another marathon. Ron had told Hermione that it seemed a little better that day. Ron had also told Hermione that he was eager for her to get there in two weeks before the two of them left for the Dursleys. He had thought about adding a phrase like "for Ginny" or something. In the end he had decided to just leave it as, "I can't wait to see you."
Ron had also decided to do something for Ginny like Hermione had said. Ron had figured out a way to get Ginny to talk to him. Unfortunately, Ron was going to have to admit some things he wasn't quite comfortable talking about. Ron had also gotten her a little present which he was sure would help her a bit.
Hermione had also responded again the same day, and Pigwidgeon had looked completely haggard and worn out by this time. Ron figured he had aged the barmy little bird by ten years in three days. Hermione had responded that she had talked to her parents and she was coming a week early, just in case "anyone" needed her. She had also told Ron that she missed him and couldn't wait to see him too.
Today, Ginny was crying worse than ever and Ron was at the end of his rope. He had Hermione's last letter in his pocket, and the present for Ginny. Now was the time when he had to do something or burst. He knocked softly on the door.
The sobs abruptly ceased and he heard a series of scuffling sounds inside along with several sniffs.
"Gin?" Ron asked. "You allright?"
He heard a soft groan come from the other side of the door. "Go way, Ron. I'm sleeping," said Ginny in a shaky voice,
"Uh…sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to you for a minute."
"Go away, please. I'm fine," lied Ginny.
Ron swallowed heavily, feeling his pride slide down his throat. He then whispered, "Well, actually, I need your help, if it's not too much trouble."
There was a hesitant silence. "Can't it wait until morning?"
"Well it is morning, Ginny. I've been up all night. Anyway, I can't sleep and I think that you're the only one who can help me."
"And why is that?" asked Ginny after another skeptical silence.
"Because you're the only girl here besides Mum, all right? I don't want anyone to overhear. Please let me in," whispered Ron plaintively.
"My, my, my, what in the world could this be about?" asked Ginny teasingly.
"C'mon, Gin, I'm serious. Let me in," whispered Ron urgently, a note of anger entering his voice.
"Not until you tell me what it's about," said Ginny firmly, but half-amused.
Ron stood in the hallway and wondered why he had ever wanted to help his foul little sister. He steeled himself for ridicule.
"All right, it's about Hermione, all right! I need advice about Hermione. She's coming early and something…I mean I want to do something…I mean…." Ron whispered fiercely. He was going to get even with Ginny for this someday. He felt mortified.
Ron heard the sound of a few more sniffs, and soft footsteps crossing the room. Ginny opened the door, looking disheveled. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she had hastily arranged her hair. Her normally straight shining tendrils looked a bit flat and unruly. Despite this, Ginny wore a hint of a smile on her face.
"I knew it." she said mildly.
Ron looked at Ginny She had the hint of a knowing smile on her sad face. He knew this was going to be embarrassing and was going to make him…vulnerable. He didn't like it. He wondered if making his sister deal with her feelings about Harry was worth this humiliation.
Ron remembered the sound of Ginny crying in her bed, and he knew that it was.
He was seated on the edge of a pink chair in her ridiculously pink room. She was sitting on the edge of her fluffy bed, facing him. The walls were pink and the curtains were an off white with hues of pink. Even the trim, which was light green, seemed tired and subdued. He looked down at her bed coverings and they were frilly, girly and also…pink.
"Good Lord, Gin," Ron said with a grin. "When are you gonna make Mum let you paint this place?" He looked behind him at her closet door. It was a patch of light green hiding in the corner; like it was hoping not to be noticed by all of the pink.
"Shut it, all right?" sniffed Ginny. "You know how she is."
"Guess its tough being her only girl, eh?"
"You have no idea," said Ginny with a grimace.
"Yeah," Ron said with a chuckle. "It's not so easy being her youngest boy, either, you know."
"Really?" asked Ginny with a pointed look. "At least she let you pick the color you wanted for your room. It's not Mum's fault you chose that putrid orange."
"Hey, Cannons rule," he said, spreading his arms innocently.
Ginny giggled and then they passed a few moments in comfortable silence as Ron scanned the ultra feminine décor of Ginny's room.
"Oi!" he thought. "It must be like sleeping in cotton candy every night."
He looked back at Ginny and watched for a few seconds as her face slowly drooped from her earlier giggle into lines of sadness. He found himself growing even more worried while he looked at her. She had always been such a buoyant person, but the usual light in her eye was so subdued.
Suddenly Ginny shook herself slightly, and then looked at Ron attentively. "Anyway…so what's up?"
"Nothing," said Ron, suddenly feeling foolish for having tried this. He felt his ears growing hot as she looked at him. He looked behind him at the green door again to give him a minute to gather his thoughts.
"Oh, come on, Ron. You didn't wake me up at 4:30 AM to comment on my horrid room. Why do you need to talk to me about Hermione?" Ron thought that he heard her whisper under her breath, "As if I didn't know."
His head snapped back around towards her, and she wore an innocently amused expression on her face.
"Hey, this isn't easy for me, you know. I don't need to be made fun of when I come to you for help," said Ron, feeling his temper rise.
He began to stand up. It was stupid of him to have tried to do this subtle rubbish. He should have just told Ginny he would go punch Harry in the nose.
"Oh sit down, Ron. Don't be so sensitive. I was only taking the mickey out of you a bit." Ginny's voice was suddenly sympathetic and she had an earnest expression on her face. Ron suddenly realized that, despite herself, Ginny did not want him to leave. She wanted the company just then.
He sat back in the chair and put a mulish expression on his face. He folded his arms tightly. "Yeah, well…"
Ginny sighed in a long-suffering female way. "Would it help if I told you what I think you want to talk about?"
"It might," said Ron petulantly.
"Okay, then. I think that you want to tell Hermione that you're in love with her."
"Whoa!" exclaimed Ron, jumping to his feet in an instant. "Why that's just ridiculous… that's…that's not the point at…that's a load of…that..."
Ginny looked up at him with a grin as he sputtered for a few more seconds. Then he turned around and flopped onto her bed. He landed on his back amid a small sea of frilly pink as his long legs dangled over the edge to the floor.
"That's probably it," said Ron, feeling defeated.
Ron had known that coming in here would probably lead to this admission. It was something he could barely admit to himself yet. But really, he was already feeling better now that it was out and acknowledged by somebody other than himself.
"Well, it's obvious anyway, isn't it?" said Ginny soothingly. She was still smiling, but she had turned towards him on her bed. She was resting her back on her footboard. She had folded her legs and propped her chin on her knees as she looked at him. "It's not so bad to say it out loud, is it?"
"No," Ron lied. He stared blankly up at the ceiling over his sister's bed. "It's just bloody impossible, is what it is."
"Why?" asked Ginny. "Why is it so impossible?"
"C'mon, Gin," said Ron, sitting up in agitation. "We've been friends since we were eleven. You can't just throw away six years of friendship on some silly crush. She means way too much for that."
Ginny smiled at him like he was an idiot.
"I'm serious! She's been my best mate since we were kids. I can't just walk up to her and tell her…I can't just say, 'Hey, 'Mione. I know we've never even talked about hooking up, but what's say we go find an empty classroom and snog for an hour or five.'"
"Why not?" asked Ginny, grinning broadly now.
"Because she'd laugh in my bloody face, wouldn't she?" said Ron, raising his voice. "She'd think I was bloody joking."
"Shhhh!!! I thought you wanted to keep everyone in the house from overhearing you," said Ginny, raising her head to look at the door and waving her hand at him.
"Sorry," said Ron despondently, flopping back again and looking at the ceiling again.
"Look," said Ginny sympathetically, "I understand your concern, but let me ask you a question."
"Okay?" said Ron after a moment He turned his head from his study of the ceiling to look at her from among folds of her quilt.
"When was the last time you remember not being confused about Hermione? I mean, when did you start to feel romantic towards her?" asked Ginny, resting her head on her knees again, and watching him studiously.
"Dunno…maybe last year…well, no, maybe since she kissed me on the cheek before…well, no…maybe since…maybe since Yule Ball in Fourth Year…when she went with that…that bloody Krum." He was scowling now.
"Okay," said Ginny. "That's what…two and a half years. And you've known Hermione how long?"
"Almost six years," Ron said. "What's your point?"
Ginny was wearing an indulgent smile. "Well, Ron, if you think about it, you've been romantically interested in Hermione for almost half of the time that you have known her. So the whole idea that you've been friends with her for six years isn't as important, is it?'
"I still don't get your point," said Ron, feeling a bit lost.
Ginny sighed again. "My point is that you've been romantically involved at some level with Hermione for as long as you were 'just friends' with her. If you think about it, your romantic feelings are just as important to your relationship as your simple time of childhood friendship."
"Okaaaay…" said Ron, starting to get the idea. "So what you are saying is that I've liked her so long, it is as much a part of our friendship as anything else."
"Exactly!" said Ginny snapping her fingers.
Ron smiled at Ginny's enthusiasm, and sat up again. "Okay, but that still doesn't stop the fact that it will be awkward."
"Well, let me ask you another question, Ron," said Ginny, taking on a lecturing tone. "How would you react if Hermione was at Bill's wedding and started snogging…say…Viktor Krum on the dance floor?"
"I'd kill the bastard!" said Ron, feeling surprised at the heat of his response.
"Oh ho! You would, would you?" said Ginny, laughing.
Ron smiled and ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly. "Uh yeah…well…I'd at least be a git about it, probably."
"Well, don't you think that would be a bit awkward?"
"Uh…guess so."
"See," said Ginny. "If you and Hermione don't get together, she's going to get together with somebody eventually, and something will happen in front of you and..." Ginny trailed off expectantly.
"And that would be awkward." concluded Ron, scowling.
"So you might as well be awkward trying to get what you want, Ron, rather than being awkward about some other bloke getting what he wants," said Ginny seriously.
"I s'pose you're right about that," agreed Ron.
They sat together in another comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company.
"Besides," said Ginny suddenly, smiling thoughtfully, "she's mad about you, anyway. She's just too insecure to admit it."
"What?" said Ron in surprise. He felt himself smiling. "Why do you say that?"
"Oh come on, Ron!" Ginny rolled her eyes at him, and poked him in the ribs. "First of all, Hermione may be the smartest student in our school, but she doesn't have the best skills in social situations. Don't get me wrong, I love her to pieces, but she is insecure." Then Ginny laughed, and added, "And has Hermione ever attacked another boy at school with a flock of canaries just because he was snogging another girl?"
Ron chuckled ruefully. "Guess not." He held up the tips of his fingers in front of his face, as if looking for canary bites.
Still chuckling, Ginny said, "I wish I'd been there to see that!"
"Not pretty," said Ron, grinning. "But, hey! Why didn't you just tell me she liked me in the first place? That's all I really needed to know. It'll be a piece of cake, knowing that."
"Boys!" Ginny giggled, rolling her eyes again.
Ron was ecstatic to see Ginny acting more like herself, but she still seemed a bit…flat; none of her normal fiery disposition.
Shifting gears, she said peevishly, "Oh and by the way, I never want to hear you get angry at me for snogging in school again; what with you and Lavender thrashing around all over the place."
"Well, now…that's different," said Ron, sensing his opportunity.
"How is that different?! Because you're male?!" asked Ginny indignantly, her cheeks reddening.
"No," said Ron mildly with a shrug. "I just didn't think Dean was the right bloke for you, that's all."
Ginny deflated immediately, and Ron saw the saddened look return to her eyes. "Yes…well…he wasn't," mumbled Ginny.
"And you'll notice I didn't say anything at the end of the year, did I?" said Ron, hoping that he wasn't being too obvious.
"No, you didn't," said Ginny glumly, resting her forehead on her knees, now, and hiding her face. Ron had the distinct impression that Ginny was about to start crying in front of him. Yes, he was definitely going to have to punch Harry in the nose.
"You know, Ron," said Ginny, still hiding her face. "I'm sorry that I made fun of you about not having snogged anyone. It was cruel, and I apologize."
"Umm…s'okay...don't worry about it," said Ron nervously. "I was being a prat, anyway."
"You were. But it still wasn't a nice thing to say." Ginny looked up at him with a sad smile. Thankfully, her eyes were dry.
"Well, it's water under the bridge now." said Ron. Then he smiled mischievously and waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerated fashion. "And things have changed now, haven't they, since Lavender?"
"Yes, they have. Yes they have," said Ginny and poked Ron in the ribs again. "And I don't think Hermione had that much experience."
Ron guffawed but then was thoughtful. "And you know, she didn't need it either. But I did. It was important for me to…Oh, I dunno…"
"Catch up?" asked Ginny with a raised eyebrow.
"Well yeah. I guess that's a blunt way to put it," said Ron.
"Well, you certainly are blunt," said Ginny with yet another long-suffering sigh, as she reached out and knocked a piece of lint off of the shoulder of his pajama shirt.
"Okay, so let's recap, shall we?" asked Ron briskly, feeling his last opportunity to get his point across.
"Okay. Go ahead," said Ginny, looking attentive.
Ron screwed up his features in concentration. "So you basically say that if I've had romantic feeling for Hermione for a long time, and if I know that she has romantic feelings for me, and it would be awkward to be around each other in a non-romantic way, then I might as well tell her how I feel about her. Is that it, in a nutshell?"
"Yes," said Ginny with an accomplished smile on her face, turning as she said it. She swung her legs off the side of the bed.
"Well, Gin, that is really good advice," said Ron emphatically.
"Good," said Ginny with finality, looking as if she was ready to stand up. Ron could tell she wanted to be alone again.
"Here goes!" he thought. Then he asked, "Do you think it would apply to anyone?"
"What?" said Ginny distractedly, obviously thinking of something else.
"I mean, don't you think it applies to any situation where two people have long-standing feelings for each other, but because of whatever situation, they are not together and it's awkward. Don't you think one of them should get up the courage to say how they feel?" said Ron. He felt a very strong urge to cross his fingers.
"Well, I don't know…" said Ginny. She was paying attention again and she was looking a tad flustered.
Ron just rode right over her. "Like, if Hermione loves me, and I love her, all of our years of friendship are a stupid reason to stay apart. It seems to me that if two people really love each other, any reason to keep them apart is a bad one; don't you think?" Ron stared at her fixedly.
"Umm…I'm not sure…" said Ginny, looking fidgety.
"It seems to me that I have no choice but to tell Hermione how I feel about our situation…everything I feel about our situation…because if I didn't, the price would be too high, wouldn't it? If she never knew how much I felt for her? And like you said, maybe I'm the one who has to say it, because she can't."
Ginny's mouth was hanging open a bit and she was eyeing Ron suspiciously. "Uh…maybe…yes," she managed to say.
Ron decided he had pushed it as far as he dared, and stood up to leave. "Thanks, Gin. Thanks a lot. I know what I have to do, now."
"Don't mention it," Ginny said lamely as Ron made his way to the door.
"Good night…or good morning or whatever it is," said Ron as he pulled the door open and quickly walked out to the hallway. He heard Ginny mumble a questioning farewell as he shut the door behind him.
Ron stood in the dark corridor for a second, not sure whether he had done well or not. He had the distinct feeling that he may have overplayed it at the end. He just was not good at this subtle rubbish!
He made his way quietly down the hall towards the stairs, trying not to disturb the sleeping family all around. As his foot lit on the first step, he heard the click of a door behind him. He turned and saw Ginny standing just outside the doorway to her bedroom.
For a moment she stood indecisively in the square of light that was cast into the hallway from her bedroom lamp. The she quickly padded towards him. Ron readied himself for an irate explosion.
She came up and stood in front of him, eying him suspiciously. He felt that he better start explaining himself.
"Uh…" he began.
"You know, sometimes you're not as dumb as you look," she interrupted suddenly with a broad grin.
Before he knew it, Ginny was hugging him fiercely about the neck and he was awkwardly patting her on the back.
"Uh, thanks…I think," said Ron, feeling dumbstruck.
"Thank you, Big Brother," she whispered in his ear. Then she whirled back towards her room. She cast him a broad smile just before she shut the door.
He chuckled to himself as he stood in the hallway. It was back. He had seen that telltale fiery light in her eyes, just before she'd disappeared into pink solitude. Harry didn't stand a chance.
Ron stood there for a few minutes after her door had shut. He felt like he had just made the best Quidditch save of his life.
"Well that," he thought with a smile, "went a lot better than when she fell off the broom."
He turned and raced up the steps two at a time, and hoped Pigwidgeon had one more flight left in his mad little body. Ron couldn't wait to tell Hermione how well he'd done.
Besides that, he should start following Ginny's excellent advice right away.