Kiss the Girl

Chapter 1

The Love Letter...Sort of

Author's Notes: You like me, you really like me! You guys made this chapter possible, without the encouragement that each one of you sent to me, through review or email, this chapter would have been a long time coming. For what better motivation is there than inspiration, you all helped me considerably. I also owe a debt of thanks to Meg for editing this chapter, although I'll be the first to admit she does get a bit pen-happy.

Disclaimer: While many may think that Harry Potter is something they will never own, I know better. For while J.K. Rowling may have the copyright laws, it's her fans that make it worth it! However, as I am a poor and unknown writer, I'm not going to risk my pitiable "fortune." Therefore, I denounce any claims to Harry Potter. ::sobs::

***

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.

-Carl Jung

***

Ginny stared blankly at the two boys who stood before her, not only had they just sent her three roommates screaming from the room, but they were saying something about enlisting her. Ginny remembered vaguely learning about enlistment in History of Magic, and there was no way she was helping anybody with a Goblin Rebellion.

"Ginny? Ginny, will you help us?" Harry's green eyes bore into hers, the same eyes she had compared to 'fresh-pickled toad,' only three years ago. Right there and then Ginny decided that she would start a Goblin Rebellion if he kept gazing at her like that, though she was sure not to spout off any more poetry.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?" She heard herself utter, followed by her brother's stifled laughter. Ginny blinked, then let her eyes focus once again on the two boys. Both were looking at her quizzically, and a heated blush rose to her cheeks. Why did Harry have the ability to make her turn into mush? And not even coherent mush, which would be much better than...well, mush.

After Harry explained why he was there again (he was able to pick up on the fact that Ginny looked a little lost), he looked to Ginny for a reply.

"So, let me get this straight. You want me to help you fix up Ron and Hermione? Poor Hermione, why would anybody want to date him?" She shot Ron a mock look of disgust, all while shaking her head.

"I resent that!"

"I think you were supposed to." Harry told him in a stage whisper.

"This was a dumb idea anyway! I don't need you two to help me ask out Hermione, I'll be perfectly fine on my own!" With that, Ron stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Looking over at Ginny, Harry began to count.

"One...two...three--"

"Guys?" Ron's head was peaking in through the door, "She's in the common room, what do I do?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother's antics, and was sure Harry was doing the same thing beside her. "Ron, why don't you just tell Hermione how you feel?"

Ron looked horrified, "But she'd laugh at me!"

"Ron, why would Hermione laugh at you? I mean, sure she might try to analyze you, but never laugh."

"Harry, you are being completely unsympathetic, and I for one am deeply ashamed of you." The redhead in the doorway countered.

"Sorry, Mum." Harry hung his head. Ginny laughed at the frown on Ron's face.

"Ron, you're making a big deal out of nothing, and Harry's only teasing you because of it! I've seen the way she looks at you, she wants you to show an interest!"

Ron gulped, a green shade emerging on his face, "But what if I mess up? I don't think I could bear it if I said something stupid!"

"Hermione's heard you say stupid things before."

"This is true." Harry nodded at Ginny's remark.

Ron gave a pleading look towards Harry and Ginny, his large eyes seeming to double in size as he pouted his lip. "Don't you guys like me? Don't you want to help me, just this once?"

Harry closed his eyes against the look Ron was giving them, "Just moments ago you were mad at me because I wanted to let Ginny help us, now you're begging and pleading? If we're going to help you, you need to make up your mind--and get that look off your face, it's making me sick."

"And you can't be yelling at us whenever we give advice you don't like! And Harry's right...that look is awful."

A grin split across Ron's features, as his face returned to its ordinary appearance. "Thanks, you won't regret this."

"I very much doubt that," Ginny retorted, grabbing some paper off her desk.

***

"Are you sure about this? Why would Hermione want me to send her a letter if I see her every day?"

"It's called being romantic." Ginny gazed at her brother as he pulled at the collar of his shirt. "Come on, just tell us what you want to write."

"Start off simple," Harry put in, "Dear Hermione..." Ginny handed Ron a quill. It hadn't been easy escaping the object of Ron's letter. Ginny had played the nervous lookout as the boys snuck down the stairs, promising to follow suite only when Hermione was off heir trail. Taking only paper and a quill, the two boys had jogged to the library, the one place Hermione wouldn't look for them. Moments later Ginny appeared, looking out of breath and rather guilty. Hermione had apparently caught up to the younger student at the portrait hole, asking if she'd seen Ron or Harry. Ginny had told her they went down to the kitchen, causing Hermione to storm by as she went to halt the illegal proceedings.

"Er...Dear Hermione..."

"We got that part," Harry told him.

"Right, Dear Hermione, I just wanted to tell you that I don't think you're a smug prefect. You're not even bad looking, not at all really. I want you to know that, because I hope you don't mind if I like you. Not that I don't want you to--"

"Stop right there!" Ginny stood up, horrified at Ron's mutilation of a simple love-letter. "You can't say that!"

"Why not?" Ron bit his lower lip.

Harry dropped his head into his hands, starting to feel the beginnings of a headache. "Ron," He began, head still held, "If Hermione went up to you and said you weren't ugly and she didn't think you were really a git, would you believe she was complimenting you?"

"Well, I suppose not. But how am I supposed to know what to tell her. I haven't exactly been spouting sonnets lately."

"Do you even know what sonnets are?" Harry lifted his head.

"Of course I do! They're those mush things that Mum likes, written my some muggle...Shimpspark or something."

"Um...close enough. Do you remember any of the nicer things from them." Harry stared at Ron intently, causing his friend to fidget.

"Well...they had stuff about being pretty, and nice, and feeling type things."

"Feeling type things?" Ginny snickered.

"Whatever, and I don't suppose you're the expert on poetry here, are you?"

Harry and Ginny both blushed crimson, as a smug grin appeared on Ron's face. Ginny shot him a mutinous glare, and if looks could kill, Harry suspected Ron would already be buried.

"Can't you think of anything nice that Hermione would want to hear?" Harry pleaded.

Throwing the disused letter to the side, Ron began again. "Dear Hermione, I know I don't always tell you that I think you're pretty, and nice, and special, but you are. I know I can be stupid sometimes, always wanting to fight with you, but I can't help it, it's fun. I just want to let you know..." Ron trailed off.

"Let her know what, Ron?" Ginny encouraged.

Just then a new voice entered into the conversation of the trio, and it wasn't Madame Pince's.

"Hermione!" Harry yelped, knocking over his chair in his hurry to shield Ron. Taking the opportunity of the effective--though certainly not graceful--distraction Harry supplied, Ron shoved the unfinished letter into his bag. Ginny then grabbed the bag, roughly shoving it under the table.

"Look who I found!" Ginny declared, shooting Ron a look for help.

"Yes...er...me and Harry were studying for Potions, and Ginny found us while she was..."

"Looking for a reference. Yes, that's what I was looking for." Ron glanced at Hermione, hoping she was buying Ginny's explanation.

"Oh, well, that's good I suppose. I've been meaning to study for Potions too, so I'll just join you." She walked around Harry's still standing figure, sitting down in one of the library chairs. "Where are your books?"

Harry covered his alarm with a mask of wonder, "Oh, we must have forgotten them. Why don't I go back and get them, want to walk with me Ginny?" Ginny sat up, glad to be out of the awkward situation. "Surely, I found the reference before I caught up with you anyway. See you later Hermione!" And with that the two strode off, leaving a bewildered Ron to face she that he both loved and feared. Poor guy.

"Really! I can't believe you forgot your books Ron! Thought I don't see why you couldn't just study in the Common Room." She looked over at her friend. "Are you okay, you look a little funny?"

"Um...yeah, I don't really feel so good. Must be why I forgot my book, maybe I'll go to the infirmary."

"You should do that Ron, you can't concentrate on your studies if you don't feel well. Maybe it's that flu bug that's going around."

"Must be," Ron nodded his head gravely, surprised Hermione was being so understanding. Really, couldn't she see the flashing letters on his face? He was sure there was a bulletin going across his forehead, reading, 'Ron wants to snog Hermione,' repeatedly.

"Do you want me to walk you there?" Hermione asked him, concern in her voice.

"That's okay, Harry will be back soon, and he'll need be wondering if neither of us are here.

"How silly of me, I forgot all about him. Well, if you're sure you're all right..." Hermione looked uneasy, and Ron tried to remember if she had ever seemed to worry over his being ill before. Scared that his imagination was getting the best of him, Ron grabbed his bag and excused himself, never looking back as he exited the library.

***

When Harry got back to the library, he found a very confused looking Hermione.

"Where's Ron?" He asked the brown-haired girl.

"He looked kind of ill, I believe he went to the infirmary."

"That coward," Harry said, forgetting Hermione didn't understand why Ron had probably been so eager to go the nurse.

"Harry! Ron might be really sick, don't say that." She gave him an I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that look.

"Er...you're absolutely right. Sorry."

"Now," Hermione picked up Harry's textbook, "Let's start with section six..." Harry felt his headache coming back, not only did he have to deal with his lovesick friend, but now he had to spend some quality time with his potions book. 'I won't regret this, eh Ron,' Harry thought to himself as he sat down next to Hermione.