After the Battle

Chapter 7

Knock, knock, knock.

'Who is it?' Ginny sighed. We were both getting quite impatient with everyone now.

'It's just me', said Hermione. 'Don't worry, if you want some peace i'll go.'

'No, no. Don't worry Hermione. Come in.' 

'Are you sure?', she said to me. She looked apolgetic.

'Don't be ridiculous Hermione, it's just that Harry has had to hide alot of times today!' She lauged.

'What do you mean, hide?'

'Well, no-one knows about us, except Ron now. And I always feel guilty when it's family, being so happy so soon after Fred.' She looked over at me and smiled. I blushed slightly, embarrassed but nodded understandingly. Her face lit up.

'Don't feel guilty. He wouldn't want everyone to be unhappy, he'd just want us to have a good laugh again.'

Ginny smiled, 'You're right, you know.'

'Oh, I know', said Hermione. 'I'm always right!' She gave us both an enormous grin. 'Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you Gin-', she paused, 'Ron asked me out!' she exclaimed.

'About time', I sighed. The girls giggled. 'I'll leave you to it', I said. I walked out of the room listening to their giggles and whispers. I smiled.

'About bloody time', said Ron as I walked into his room. 'I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to stop snogging my sister'. I grinned. He patted me on the back and I exhaled. Thank God he's ok with it, I thought. 'Have you seen Hermione?' He asked.

'Yeah, Ginny's room. They're gossiping again, I wouldn't interupt.'

'No', he said. 'You're right,bad idea'.

'She told me Ron'.

'Oh, Thank God someone knows. I thought we weren't telling people.' He looked relieved.

'I don't think you are.' I replied, 'Hermione seemed to say it was just me and Ginny, like it's only the two of you that know about us.'

'Ok', he said, 'That I can deal with.'

I chuckled.

'Ron, Ginny!' Mrs Weasley screamed from the kitchen. 'Hermione darling? Harry dear? Would you like some lunch?'

Ron rolled his eyes. 'At least she's nice to you!'

Lunch was an awkward affair, Hermione and Ron were being overly polite to each other and yet trying to 'act normal'. This caused a great deal of hilarity for Ginny and I but we too had to supress our giggles. Mrs Weasley kept shooting glances at Ron as if to say, 'Don't you even think about it, young man'.

At the end of lunch, Ron said, 'Mum, the four of us were wondering if, maybe, please we would be able to, please, go to diagon alley?' This all came out in one enormous mash of words. Hermione smirked.

'I suppose so', she agreed warily, 'Let me grab the floo powder'.

'Wait, Mum.' Mrs Weasley spun around with an accusing, questioning look plastered on her face. 'We were hoping to go alone.'

'Well-', she started, but Mr Weasley interupted.

'They're all grown-ups', he said.

'Ginny's not.'

'They'll be fine. It's safer now than it has been in a long time.'

'Ok. Don't be long.' We all trapsed out of the door, when we reached the gate we all gave each other an enormous grin. CRACK