Romance Americana

Al'ight, I think its time to start something resembling a plot...

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Kate had problems getting up on Tuesday morning. She wasn't sure, but it was probably the red haired boy lying on top of her. She smiled.

"Ron." No answer.

"Ronnie, wake up, honey." His head came up this time.

"Sorry, love. I was listening to your heart."

She smiled even wider and dropped a kiss on top of his forehead. "That's sweet, but I think McGonagall would give us detention for the year if our excuse for not going to class was that you wanted to listen to my heart and refused to get up."

"And why would old McGonagall have a problem with that?"

"Because, something tells me would; she doesn't seem liberal in the least. Plus, I wanna ask her if I can throw a party on Friday. And being late would ruin my chances of her saying yes."

"Too true. So, what do you suggest?"

"I suggest that I go to the girls' bathroom and wash up, while you head to the water closet in your room. Sound good?"

"Do we really need separate bathrooms?"

"Yes, silly, now move. You're heavy, and this sofa isn't doing much for my posture."

Ron got off her (reluctantly), and sat on the other end of the couch.

'She looks good even in the morning,' he thought. He leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips, catching Kate by surprise. It was a sweet kiss; with nothing but love and admiration in it. Ron saw a blush rise in her cheeks.

"Kate, after all the times I've kissed you, this is the first time you blushed."

She nodded her agreement. "That kiss was different."

"Yes, yes it was."

Ron headed to his own washroom while Kate sat on the sofa. What Ron hadn't known was that her blush wasn't out of embarrassment; it was out of guilt.

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Kate skipped into the Great Hall, followed by Shannon and a few other Americana girls. All of them were rather giggly and talking excitedly.

"Kate, whose going to DJ the party?" Dani asked. She was tall, mostly legs, book smart, but a bit of a ditz deep down. But she was a favorite of Kate's, so Ron kept it to himself.

"I don't know. I need to find somebody local; I don't have the time frame to get Skribble..."

She hurriedly said good bye, than took her seat next to Ron, across the table from Harry and Hermione, who were so busy making eyes at each other and stealing kisses, that they didn't notice when Ron announced that he wasn't wearing any boxers.

"Ron, how long have they been like that?"

"Since last night. The anniversary of something; I haven't found out what, nor do I want to know."

Kate continued to stare, trying desperately to eat her meal. She soon gave up. Hermione was now the focus of McGonagall's disapproving stare. Apparently cuddling the Head Boy during lunch wasn't acceptable either.

"Thank God I asked before lunch." She turned to Ron. "McGonagall said yes. Party's this Friday night. It starts at 7; McGonagall forgot to give me a curfew, so we'll conveniently 'forget' it."

"Sounds good." Ron looked over at Kate to tell her more about his plans for their own after party, when he noticed Ginny over her head. And what she was wearing. He waited for her to take her seat on Kate's left side before he said anything.

"Ginny, what the hell are you wearing?"

"Clothes?"

"Funny, smart ass. Seriously, when did you start dressing like a slut?"

"How is this sluty?" She gestured to her black micro-mini and red halter. "This is a lot classier than what most girls wear."

"Amen to that."

Shannon had just sat down next to Harry and Hermione. She soon saw the error of her ways. "Jesus Christ, will you two go get a goddamn room? And don't you two need oxygen, or is there a tank I don't see?" She rolled her eyes, and gave Kate and Ron a pointed look. "Aren't they infringing on some kind of copyright you two have on making out at the lunch table?"

"Shut it, Quinn, and tell me honestly, what do you think of young Ginny's outfit?"

"It's cute; not to sluty, but shows enough to get attention. Why?"

"Ron has a problem with it."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Doesn't Matt ever get overprotective with you?"

"Yeah, but he gets put in his place."

"See, Ron, its no big deal."

"Yeah, tell me that when I find you being sexually assaulted by Draco Malfoy."

"Ron! That will never happen! Ginny can take care of herself; and she has me to help her along the way."

"I weep for the fate of my family."

"Keep weeping and see if you get any tonight."

Kate gave him a smug look while Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. Quinn was trying not to laugh.

"This is great. I have three girls ganging up on me; possibly four whenever Hermione comes up for air..."

Hermione spoke up without moving her lips from Harry's. "I heard that, Weasley. Don't make me send my boyfriend after you."

"Alright, four girls and one guy." He looked back at Kate and Ginny, and did a quick double take. He had just realized how similar they looked. He shuddered. The last thing he needed to think about while snogging his girlfriend was his little sister. He made the mistake of voicing his thoughts.

"So, we look like each other, eh, Ginny? I think we could have fun with this."

"Matching outfits..."

"... Same hair..."

"... Make up..."

Ron sighed. Women- can't live with 'em can live with out 'em.

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"Kate! Kate, wait up!"

The redhead did a quick about face, and kept walking backwards. She was late enough for Divination without idle conversation in the hallway.

"Hey, Jarrod, what's up?"

"Where you headed?"

"Divination, with that crazy professor. You know the one that looks like a giant bug. Where are you going? Shouldn't you be kissing some professor's ass right about now?"

"Hey, I work for my grades, thank you. And I have the afternoon off. I wanted to talk to you about the party on Friday."

"What about?"

"Who you gonna get to DJ it?"

"I have no clue. I need someone local though, why?"

"Jon has his turntables."

"He does? That great! How the hell did he pack those?"

"He shrunk them. You know, with a spell. Those things were supposed to be learning."

"Shut up. Just because I wasn't put in Ravenclaw doesn't mean I'm not intelligent."

"Whatever you say, Ms. Hollywood. So, you're gonna use Jon."

"Yeah, I think I will. Thanks for telling me, Jarrod."

"No worries. Here, I'll walk you the rest of the way to the tower. Do you need me to carry anything?"

"No, I'm okay. Really, you don't need to walk me."

"I need to talk to you anyway."

He looked down when he said this. Kate didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

"Yeah?"

"It's about Matt..."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Please, Jarrod, not Matt again. I told you more than you need to know about how and why we broke up. More than I should have told you, probably. What more do you need? You've analyzed my fear of commitment to death already..."

"Fair enough, but I thought you should know that he still loves you."

"I think we've had this conversation before too."

"Once again correct, but why won't you just admit that you still love him too?"

They had reached the stairs to the Divination tower. Kate seemed to renew her energy and took the stairs two at a time. "Who says that I still love him?"

"I do. And the way you constantly stare at him, and watch him during Qudditch practice, and the way your eyes tear up whenever you see him with someone else. You still love him, but you're too much of a goddamn chicken shit to admit it! It's time to fucking grow up, Kate, and it's time to swallow your fucking pride!" He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around before she could make it up the ladder to Trelawney's room. "Just look me in the eye and tell me you don't love him still, that you won't always love him. Just tell me and I'll go away, I promise."

Kate wiped the tears away with her thumbs, and then did her best to look one of her closest friends in the eyes and not waver. "You're right. I do still love him. I will always love him, but there is a time when things have to be called quits. My life is too damn busy. I'm followed my Muggle and Daily Prophet reporters alike, and I don't want him to be dragged into all of that. And besides, I'm with Ron now. Ron cares for me, and he won't run away at the slightest sign of distress. I need a constant, and Matt wasn't that! That's it."

"Bullshit. Matt never left, and he didn't care about the media. Come up with a better excuse, Kate. Come on, I thought you were an actress. Prove me you're worthy of that title."

"I don't need to explain my actions to you."

"You're right, but you do need to explain them to us."

"Fine. Call the other six together. We'll have a meeting tonight. 1:30 am, Charms corridor."

"I'll see you then."

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