The Big Deal

"I just don't see what the big deal is, Harry!"

Harry, who'd just stomped his way over to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and was just about to make a dramatic exit from the deserted Gryffindor common room, paused and muttered to himself. "He doesn't see what the big deal is, does he? Oh, he'll see what the big deal is alright..."

He slowly turned around and smiled.

Ron, who was normally as perceptive as one of the house-elf heads that lined the halls at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, saw this strange development, and came to the conclusion that he would rather be serving detention with Professor Snape.

Harry advanced on him. Ron backed away, matching Harry step for step. In an oddly calm voice, Harry began to explain what the big deal was. "Ron," he began. "I don't think you understand the consequences of your actions."

Harry took another step. Ron did as well. "Mate, I reckon you're overreacting a bit..."

"Am I now?" Harry replied. "Let me ask you a question, then, and then let's see who's overreacting."

Ron inwardly moaned. He was beginning to see where this was going, and he didn't like it. Not one jot.

"Let's say that one day, you were having lunch in Hogsmeade, let's say at the Three Broomsticks. And let's say you were with a friend. And that you were having a pleasant conversation with said friend."

Harry advanced. Ron retreated. "But it was just Hermione, Harry..."

Harry took three more quick steps. Ron nearly flipped himself over a char doing the same. Harry didn't seem to notice. "Don't interrupt me," he said in a low voice, barely audible to Ron at all.

"Now let's say, that in the middle of said conversation, I come up to your table, blathering on about how much you owe me for this, and how lucky you are to have such a great guy as a friend."

Harry stood still. Ron backed up a step anyway. "I just..."

"Shut it. And you get a little curious about what's got me this excited, so you ask me, 'Why?' And I make a grand gesture and point to the entrance, and in walks your sister. And, still curious, you ask, 'What's the big deal?'"

"Harry, Ginny's not your sister!"

"Biologically, no. But that's the way I feel about her, and you knew damn well that that's the way I feel, because I've told you that!"

"I just thought..."

"What, that I was lying to myself? Nope. Done it before, probably I'll do it again, but not this time."

Harry advanced again, but this time, Ron held his ground. "I don't buy it. You've got to like some girl around here, and I know it's not Hermione."

"And where did you pick up that little bit of knowledge, Sherlock?"

"Who?"

"Never mind, just answer the damn question!"

"Oh, come on Harry, it's obvious that you two are just friends. You're more like siblings than soul mates, mate."

"Really."

"Really, Harry. So if it's not my sister than who is it? Parvati? Lavender? Luna?"

"Hermione."

"Harry," Ron began, exasperated. "We just went over this..."

"I know. And once again, you jumped to the wrong conclusion," Harry shot back. "How is it that you think you know everything I want? When have I ever given you that impression?"

He began to advance again, and Ron, this time truly frightened, almost wished he were having a picnic lunch with Aragog and the giant squid instead.

Almost.

"Have you ever considered that I have different ideas for what I want? Or maybe that Ginny really is over me? That I might be interested in someone else? That you could be wrong?"

"Harry..."

"Oh, I'm not done yet, mate. See, this is why I like Hermione. She notices what I want, and tries to help me. She doesn't decide what's best for me unless I'm being a prat and she needs to step in and stop me! And when I do need her to step in, she at least talks to me first!"

Harry took two large steps towards Ron. This time, Ron did flip over a chair, and on the way down, he knocked over an Exploding Snap deck that some little first year had left out when he went to bed. "Oh, no..."

Harry advanced, seemingly not noticing Ron's predicament. "She's always been there Ron, even when I've been too big of a dolt to notice all she's done for us. For me. Even when I've been too much of a dolt to figure out exactly how I really do feel about her!" Finally, he noticed Ron on the ground. Puzzled, he bent over. "What the bloody hell are you doing down there?"

PLOOMF!

Ron wiped the soot from his eyes and grinned. "Playing Exploding Snap!" he replied, then took off running for the sixth year dormitory. "I win!"

Thunderstruck, Harry took off his glasses and muttered "Scourgify." His glasses clean, he glanced at Ron's fleeing figure and grinned. "Enjoy your trip..."

Ron began to giggle as he reached the steps to the dormitory. He climbed two of them before he turned around to determine Harry's location.

Harry just smiled and waved.

Ron climbed another three steps before Harry's reaction sunk in. "Oh, bugger...AHHHHHHHHHH!"

Harry walked over and stood over Ron, who was laying at the bottom of the slide that had once been stairs leading to the girls' dormitories. "Are you enjoying yourself, Ron?"

"Don't hurt me," Ron whimpered. At that point, he would rather trade famous wizard cards with Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters than continue the conversation.

"No, I think you've got the point by now," Harry replied calmly. "There's no need for physical pain...yet."

"Yet?"

"Now, I think it's time I went and let Hermione know exactly how I feel about her."

"Hermione?"

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in the library."

"The library? Harry, have you gone nutters?"

"Nutters?" Harry pondered the question. "Nope. I think this is about the sanest I've felt in about...well, my whole life really." And with that, he turned around and walked out of the common room.

Ron watched him go. After the portrait swung shut, he shook his head, grinning. "All according to plan."

"Yeah, my plan."

At this Ron jumped about a foot in the air. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Gin! And speaking of plans, next time, come up with one that doesn't involve Harry threatening to use my guts for garters!"

"Sorry," Ginny replied, removing Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "By the way, does Harry know you borrowed this?"

"No, but I think I should probably put it back before he gets really teed off," Ron replied. "Give it here."

Ginny tossed it to him. "Man, they're so easy. Hermione won't even talk to me, she thinks it was my idea to set me up with him." She considered for a moment. "Well, I guess it was my idea, but at least my motives were pure."

"You do realize that eventually, they're going to figure this out right? And then, they'll kill us."

Ginny paused again.
"In that case, keep the cloak."